Zozibini Tunzi says women live in fear of GBV and Covid-19: 'The world is not safe for women'

Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi said the surge of violence against women means they have to live in fear of falling victims to abuse and contracting Covid-19.

The model reflected at the weekend on reports of incidents of gender-based violence (GBV), and called for “a shift” to ensure the safety of women.

She described the past week as "emotionally taxing" as she joined New York residents during the Black Lives Matter protests. 

"[Women] are killed by strangers and their partners, murdered in their own homes and in the streets. The world is not safe for women. Personally, I am tired,” she wrote.

On Sunday, she reacted to the recent murders of women in SA during an interview with Newzroom Afrika. She said not enough is being done to ensure the safety of women in their communities. 

“It makes me sick to my stomach that even in the middle of a pandemic, women are still being found dead, eight months pregnant and hanging on a tree, people reporting cases of women that are found dead. I am angry and absolutely disgusted.”

Last week, she called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene as South Africans mourned the death of 28-year-old Tshegofatso Pule.