There was a mood of angry defiance among activists at the second presidential summit on gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) held in Midrand this week.
The summit’s key aim was to reflect on the work undertaken since the first summit in 2018, and give feedback on developments in the fight to eradicate what President Cyril Ramaphosa has called a pandemic.
The plenary session was marked by chaotic scenes on Tuesday, with rowdy civil society groups drowning out attempts by organisers to keep the agenda on track.
The tense, combative atmosphere strongly implied that whatever developments there may have been since 2018, they are nowhere near enough.
Caught on the back foot, politicians and government leaders scrambled to highlight programmes under way to fight the scourge of violence against women and children.
Minister in the presidency for women, youth and persons with disabilities Maite Nkoana-Mashabane told delegates that government would soon be implementing a new system that will enable police to access the home affairs database, which would allow them to identify alleged perpetrators more quickly.
Justice minister Ronald Lamola announced that work on the decriminalisation of sex work bill would be finalised before the end of the year.
National director of public prosecutions Adv Shamila Batohi admitted the criminal justice system is not able to solve the scourge of GBVF in South Africa, called for a multisectoral approach, saying it’s time to look beyond the criminal justice system.
In his keynote address Ramaphosa conceded the anger at the summit was "valid,” and that the crowd had "called me out as your president, and I appreciate that".
A shortage of shelters for GBVF victims was raised as a concern several times, as was the issue of bail for repeat offenders.
These issues are crucial and urgent. The system must change - and change fast - before any meaningful progress can be made in ensuring victims get justice.
But as important as these interventions are, they are reactive solutions aimed at punishing perpetrators and helping victims, not eradicating violence against women and children. They will do little to change the mindset of men in this violence-ravaged country.
The devastating impact of all forms of violence should feature more prominently and regularly in life orientation lessons (at school).
The most important step in addressing GBVF is to stop men from abusing women and children. That is the end goal: a society were woman are respected and protected, free to voice their opinions, make their own decisions, walk where they please, wear what they want to and stand up for their rights in any given situation.
It seems simple, but it is not. It is a huge undertaking that requires active involvement from every sector of society, every day. It is not something that can be left only to government.
Of course, it starts at home. But how does a woman who is regularly assaulted by her husband teach her son (and daughter) that this behaviour is unacceptable?
It also involves community and religious organisations. However, not all families attend church or mix in their communities.
But all children attend school, and so this is where SA needs to increase its focus. The devastating impact of all forms of violence should feature more prominently and regularly in life orientation lessons.
Boys need repetitive, ongoing, daily engagement — honest, open, noisy, direct, challenging conversations about why some people resort to violence and what the repercussions of this behaviour are, how to manage our emotions and tempers, and better ways to resolve conflict.
Equally, girls must be taught that they should not accept violence as part of a man’s psyche, that they deserve - and must demand - respect and that there are multiple avenues available to them should they ever find themselves a victim of violence.
It’s a common psychological tactic - hacking young brains to form good habits through repetition. Words and thoughts that are repeated sink into the subconscious mind and affect the behaviour, actions and reactions of the person involved.
These lessons need to start from grade one and continue throughout school. They should happen weekly, so the default position of respecting girls and woman comes as naturally as spelling your name, adding three plus three or reciting the national anthem.
But it shouldn't end there.
The brain hack must continue on campuses and in the workplace. Corporates must join the campaign, holding regular sessions for staff that help them navigate the stresses of work and general life constructively.
Regular talks by experts on conflict resolution, stress management, life-work balance, trigger points and other related topics should be mandatory. Violence against women and children should be a key part of this curriculum.
It takes a village, and in South Africa that village includes every individual and every organisation. If we leave the GBVF scourge to authorities to deal with, violence will continue to spread and grow, destroying everything in its path.
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