sexual violence - The African Mirror

Apr

2021

Why girls continue to experience violence at South African schools

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…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

One in three women endure physical or sexual violence – WHO

NEWS

STEPHANIE NEBEHAY NEARLY one in three women worldwide is subjected to physical or sexual violence during her lifetime, pervasive criminal behaviour that has increased during the pandemic, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The U.N. agency urged governments to prevent violence, improve services for victims and tackle economic inequalities that often leave women and girls trapped in abusive relationships. Boys should be taught in school about the need for mutual respect in relationships and mutual consent in sex, WHO officials said. "Violence against women is endemic in every country and culture, causing harm to millions of women and their…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

Ethiopia: A partial view of the humanitarian fallout emerges in Tigray

HUMAN RIGHTS

BEN PARKER FOOD shortages, widespread looting, and sexual violence were among the findings in the first on-the-ground look at the situation in Tigray by UN and Ethiopian officials. A report released last week by the UN's emergency aid department, OCHA, outlines an emerging humanitarian situation, with more than two million people in need of assistance due to recent fighting between federal government forces and troops loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Overall access to the region and communications have been constrained by the central government, making first-hand assessments difficult. Speaking in Geneva on 6 January, at an online briefing hosted by…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

Kenyan women win damages for sexual violence during 2007-8 poll violence

NEWS

NITA BHALLA FOUR rape survivors have won $35,906 each after Kenya's High Court ruled the government failed to investigate sexual violence cases after a disputed 2007 poll. The landmark ruling came after eight survivors - backed by human rights groups - filed a lawsuit in 2013 seeking accountability from authorities and redress for their suffering. Awarding damages to four women survivors, High Court Judge Weldon Korir said authorities had failed to conduct "independent and effective investigations and prosecutions" of sexual violence during the post-election unrest. The High Court found a "violation of the Kenyan state to investigate and prosecute violations…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Malawian protesters demand tougher penalties for rape

NEWS

CHARLES PESULO HUNDREDS of Malawians took to the streets on Monday to demand tougher rape penalties following months of protests over sexual abuse in the country, including a high-profile case involving the head of the public broadcaster. The demonstrators presented a petition to city authorities in Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu, calling on the government to set up a sex offenders registry, women's shelters, special courts for sexual crimes and overhaul school sex education. "Not much being done... to send an absolutely clear message to Malawian men that sexual violence will not be tolerated and the consequences of such crime will…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

OPINION: It is time to recognize LGBT+ people in conflict areas

LGBT+

SAHAR MOAZAMI and DAINA RUDUSA | OUTRIGHT ACTION INTERNATIONAL OCTOBER 29, 2020, marked 20 years since the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1325, thereby recognizing the unique impact conflict has on women. This was the first document to draw attention to sexual and gender-based violence in conflict areas and to call for the inclusion of women in peace and security work. Twenty years on, inclusion of LGBT+ people in peace and security work is still sorely lacking, or even purposefully excluded despite growing visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people by multilateral organisations, and big strides having been taken…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Refugee women in Africa say domestic violence rose during pandemic

HUMAN RIGHTS

NITA BHALLA MORE than 70% of displaced and refugee women in Africa have seen a rise in domestic violence in their communities during the coronavirus pandemic, a newly-published survey has found. More than half the 850 women interviewed in 15 African nations also reported a rise in sexual violence and almost one in three had observed growth in early and forced marriage, said the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Lockdowns to curb the spread of COVID-19 have fuelled an upsurge in gender-based violence (GBV) across the world, with victims forced to spend more time with their abusers and prevented from seeking…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

‘Groundbreaking’ Lesotho study reveals high cost of domestic violence

NEWS

EMMA BATHA COUNTRIES could save billions of dollars a year by tackling the "disgusting pandemic" of domestic violence, the Commonwealth secretary-general said as economists estimated the scourge cost the tiny African kingdom of Lesotho 5.5% of GDP. Patricia Scotland said domestic violence burdened health, police and judicial services, led to absenteeism at work and school, and permanently damaged children who witnessed it, impacting future generations. About one in three women in Lesotho has suffered physical or sexual violence - often by a partner, similar to the global prevalence rate, according to a Commonwealth study published on Friday. Analysts calculated this…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Central African Republic seeks justice for rural victims of sexual violence

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

PACOME PABANJI RESTORING court operations in rural parts of the war-torn Central African Republic is vital to tackling sexual violence and ensuring victims can seek justice, a top government official said, as the coronavirus pandemic fuels gender-based abuse. Rape has been widely used as a weapon of war in the country of 4.6 million, which is still largely controlled by armed groups despite the signing of peace deals in 2019 to end a long civil war, according to the United Nations. Aline Gisèle Pana, minister for women, the family and child protection, said the government's priority was to deploy magistrates…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Congolese abuse survivors rebuild lives, brick by brick

HUMAN RIGHTS

MALAICKA ADIHE CONGOLESE teenager Aline was left destitute aged only 15 after she was raped, left pregnant and then accused of bringing dishonour to her family and made to leave her home. But just two years later, her life is back on track, thanks to a groundbreaking scheme to teach building skills to survivors of sexual violence in a region ravaged by years of ethnic conflict that have hit women particularly hard. The scheme is the brainchild of Lauren Muntu Kintadi, 36, who wanted to help single mothers and other women in need to find paid work, and realised there…