South Africa has launched 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) with the aim to raise awareness on the negative impact that violence and abuse have on women and children, and to rid society of abuse permanently.
The activism campaign starts every year on November 25 and runs until December 10. GBV is an umbrella term for any harmful act perpetrated against a person’s will that is based on socially ascribed gender differences or unequal power relations between men and women.
GBV has different forms which includes:
- Physical Violence: Includes actions such as hitting, slapping, beating, shaking, pushing, biting, pulling hair, burning, choking, and use of weapons.
- Sexual Violence: Encompasses any sexual act without consent, including rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, exploitation, and human trafficking.
- Psychological/Emotional Abuse: Involves behaviours such as threats, insults, belittling, constant humiliation, intimidation, stalking, and isolating a person from family and friends.
Should one find themselves exposed to any of the forms of GBV listed below, here are the steps to take.
The most important thing is to be patient with yourself and try not to feel pressured to do anything you are uncomfortable with. Experiencing any form of GBV can result in trauma, and it is essential that you take care of yourself before you decide to do anything else.
As shared by Global Citizen, here are three key things to consider if you’ve recently experienced assault or abuse:
- If you are in immediate danger or are seriously hurt, contact the South African Police Service (SAPS) for urgent assistance. Not only should the police be able to pursue the case, they can also connect you to a medical professional and a trained counsellor if you require one.
- Get yourself to a safe place and out of danger as soon as you can. If you cannot do this yourself, consider reaching out to someone you trust who can assist and support you.
- Consider receiving immediate medical assistance from a hospital or clinic to make sure that you have not been seriously injured and, if needed, to conduct a sexual assault forensics exam. Hospitals and clinics can also help you report the case if that is something that you wish to do.
Also see: Healing South Africa’s Wounded Masculinity: The Unspoken Key to Ending GBV
