gender based violence - The African Mirror

Jan

2024

Pistorius release touches a nerve in country scarred by violence against women

SOUTH African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius' release on parole, nearly 11 years after he shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, provoked a raw response in a country scarred by violence against women. Pistorius, who has said repeatedly that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder, spent about eight and a half years in jail as well as seven months under house arrest, but for many that is not enough. An average of around 12 women are murdered in South Africa every day, with more than 42,000 rapes recorded in the year to March 2023, police data show. "Considering that I'm a woman in…

Dec

2022

By The African Mirror

LaLiga puts its stamp on stunning Clifton Fives Futbol pitch and supports the fight against Gender-Based Violence

SPORT

SPANISH professional football league, LaLiga, this week made its mark on one of the world’s most beautiful football pitches, branding the iconic FIVES Futbol pitch in Clifton on Cape Town’s famous Atlantic Seaboard. LaLiga is FIVES Futbol’s Official League Sponsor in South Africa and as part of the partnership, it on Thursday unveiled the Clifton pitch with a mini tournament attended by Cape Town media and influencers, among them Banyana Banyana star Thembi Kgatlana, and the female-only Badgers Football Club. Clifton is one of the world’s top tourist destinations and the Fives Clifton pitch is at a breath-taking location, on…

Apr

2021

By The African Mirror

Why girls continue to experience violence at South African schools

HUMAN RIGHTS

GIRLS experience gender and sexual violence in schools around the world, and South Africa is no exception. Research has shown how learners, and girls in particular, are vulnerable to violence. EMMANUEL MAYEZA, Senior Lecturer, Department of Sociology, University of the Free State DEEVIA BHANA, Professor Gender and Childhood Sexuality, University of KwaZulu-Natal Despite the country’s political response to violence against women and girls, school-going girls struggle with male violence in and out of school. Learners who are victimised at school often show poor academic performance, regular school absenteeism, anxiety and depression, drug and alcohol use, psychological trauma, and dropping out…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

INTERVIEW-Women must be kept safe online to meet global gender goals, activist says

WORLD

GOVERNMENTS must do more to keep women safe online in order to meet global goals on gender inequality, a British Nigerian activist has warned, as the coronavirus pandemic causes a surge in racism and gender-based abuse on the internet. Women's rights campaigners worldwide have warned of an increase in online abuse such as revenge porn as COVID-19 continues to keep many people at home in front of a screen, but Seyi Akiwowo said information on how to stay safe was lacking. "I'm still not confident that global leaders are understanding the impact lockdown has on the online space and putting…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Mothers, sisters, wives: Kenyan women lead fight against police violence

HUMAN RIGHTS

NEHA WADEKAR The confrontation was caught on film. As three armed policemen try to pull Wanjira Wanjiru away, she clings to the wing-mirror of a parked car and refuses to move. “Don’t touch me!” she yells. “Why are you arresting me?” “Why are you protesting?” one of the steel-helmeted policemen asks. “I’m protesting because you’re killing us,” replies the 25-year-old anti-police brutality campaigner. “Who is killing you?” “You police! You’re killing us in our communities!” Then, as the policemen back off, Wanjira, fist in the air, defiantly chants what has now become an iconic line: “When we lose our fear, they lose…