Nov 22, 2024 MISA, the Motor Industry Staff Association, Martlé Keyter,
The circle of Gender-Based-Violence ends with us
Words cannot describe MISA’s, the Motor Industry Staff Association, disillusionment with what used to be the country with one of the most internationally acclaimed Constitutions in the world. “Something is terribly wrong in South Africa when a 14-year-old is fatally shot on route to school,” says Martlé Keyter, MISA’s Chief Executive Officer: Operations.
Grantham van Reenen, a Grade 8 learner from Ravensmead High School, was killed in Elsies River in the Western Cape. Two other teens and a 55-year-old were also wounded and rushed to hospital after an apparent gang related crossfire. Later the same day the naked decomposed body of Akhona Ntunja (16), a Grade 11 learner from Willowvale in the Eastern Cape was discovered in a forest. Forensic tests must reveal if she was raped too. She went missing five days earlier while walking home from Badi Senior Secondary School.
“This incident brought back vivid memories of one of the thousands of unsolved cases in our country – the brutal murder of 17-year-old Palesa Malatji in May last year. She was murdered after attending a matric extra class at the Ntsako Secondary school in Soshanguve north of Pretoria. Petros Majola, a children's rights activist, says the country is under siege. “Men are declaring war with the justice system. It is high time for authorities to solidify the rule of law against the perpetrators of gender-based violence.”
In the same week the Human Sciences Research Council released the grim results on the first national gender-based violence Prevalence study. It shows 36% of women in South Africa - an estimated 7.8 million - have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse at some point in their lives and that 24% - an estimated 3.4 million - have experienced it at the hands of an intimate partner. The study also sheds light on "deeply ingrained gender norms and power dynamics, with strong cultural reinforcement of traditional gender roles and a troubling acceptance of male aggression and dominance".
Decades after South Africa joined the global fight for against gender equality, a vast majority of men in our country believes woman should "obey" her husband. Almost a quarter of them believe that a woman cannot refuse to have sex with her husband.
While most men who were surveyed (almost 85%) knew that there are laws in South Africa addressing violence against women, the study found "a high proportion of men agreed with the perception that the laws make it too easy for a woman to bring a violence charge against a man". According to the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Gender & Health Research Unit’s fourth national femicide study, South Africa has one of the highest femicide rates in the world.
So what are we doing wrong? A recent United Nations study indicated food insecurity being intertwined with women’s exposure to domestic violence. The economic role of women is associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing violence. Women with income experience a greater sense of safety and reduced perception of violence (except for those who out-earn their partners) — portraying the harmful power dynamic perpetuating femicide, gender based-violence and their connection to economic dependence.
In South Africa the estimated rape prevalence ranges from 12% to 28% of women reporting being raped in their lifetime, but reporting thereof is very low. One study found that only one in 25 rapes are reported to the police. “MISA believes that the circle of gender-based-violence ends with us. We have a duty to address this pandemic in our homes, at the workplace, in our communities, amongst our elders and our peers.
“The Union started preparations for our annual 16-Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence by providing our regional committee members, and those involved in our Women’s Forum and Young Workers’ Forum with training on how to recognise red flags in relationships. “They must use their knowledge to raise awareness amongst MISA’s more than 69 000 members and in the communities where the Union is strengthening the hands of non-profit organisations and schools,” says Keyter.
According to Keyter the Union believes awareness must continue every day and not just be highlighted for 16 days per annum. That is why this Union has a dedicated e-mail address, endGBV@ms.org.za, where anyone in the retail motor industry can report to and be assisted confidentially.
“MISA’s highlight this year, is a nationwide screening of the movie “It Ends with Us” illustrating the realities of domestic abuse and the epitome of rollercoaster emotions, but with a very powerful message of hope. This is accompanied by MISA’s webinar series designed to empower victims and their loved ones.
Join MISA in our pledge to leave no stone unturned to root out this cancer in our society. Remember it ends with us.
Issued by Sonja Carstens, Manager of MISA's Media & Communication Department, on behalf of the Union. For more information contact Carstens on 082 463 6806 or e-mail mailto:Sonja.Carstens@ms.org.za.
#PROUDLYMISA #MISALEADS #MISACARES #MISAONTHEMOVE #MISAFAMILY #16DaysofActivism #EndGBV
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