– Source:The unintended consequences of measures introduced to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus from 2020 to 2022 have been studied extensively. Research in South Africa shows that some of these measures added to social ills, such as unemployment and poverty.
Another impact of “lockdown” was on gender-based violence. The government’s Gender-Based Violence Command Centre reported over 120,000 cases within the first three weeks of lockdown.
In the year 2019-20, 53,293 sexual offences were reported, an average of 146 per day. This was up from 52,420 in 2018-19. Most of these were cases of rape. The police recorded 42,289 rapes in 2019-20, up from 41,583 in 2018-19, an average of 116 rapes each day. Further, a total of 2,695 women were murdered in South Africa in 2019-20. This means a woman is murdered every three hours.
The lockdown measures required people to remain indoors. Schools and non-essential establishments like restaurants were closed. Travelling internationally and between provinces was prohibited.
Research showed that the lockdown measures trapped many women and children in abusive environments. The gender-based violence incidents highlighted gaps in support services and underscored the critical role of social workers in crisis situations.
In a recent paper, we described our study of the impact the lockdown measures had on gender-based violence in Matatiele, a small town in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, one of the poorest regions in the country.
The study highlighted the need to integrate gender-based violence support services into emergency plans to ensure continuity of care in times of crisis. In addition, the challenges faced by social workers during the pandemic showed systemic weaknesses in the support infrastructure.
We recommend prioritising gender-based violence services, expanding the social work workforce, and ensuring accessible, effective support mechanisms to safeguard survivors. By engaging local and provincial partners through cross-sector collaboration, South Africa can build a more equitable society and empower survivors during future emergencies.
Interviewing survivors of violence
Our findings were based on interviews with 30 survivors of gender-based violence and five social workers at the Thuthuzela Care Centre in Matatiele, which provides support for rape survivors. Twenty-four of the survivors (80%) were women and six (20%) were males. The participants were aged 18-35.
We found that 63.3% of survivors experienced gender-based violence differently during the pandemic, primarily because access to support services was reduced. Key findings were that:
survivors found it difficult to reach police stations, hospitals and support centres
a lack of transport and staffing made access to services even more difficult than usual
survivors were often imprisoned with their abusers, making it nearly impossible to escape the abusive environment
the closure of schools and community centres destroyed additional refuges and support networks
social workers reported that remote counselling methods, such as telephone calls, were less effective
poor internet connection and the inability to meet in person limited the quality of psychosocial support provided
many perpetrators faced job losses and economic hardships; this led to increased stress and violence.
Our findings highlight how public health crises can worsen existing social vulnerabilities. The COVID-19 pandemic starkly illustrated the vulnerability of survivors during crises and the role of social workers in providing support.
Women’s experiences
As shown in the table, some participants said their experiences of abuse were the same before and during COVID-19. This might be because a participant was abused during the pandemic and had not been a victim before.
Most of the research participants said their experience of gender-based violence was different from how it had been before COVID-19. Asked to explain, most of them responded in similar ways.
One of the women said:
I have difficulty escaping my abuser.
Another said:
I struggled to sleep, and I was anxious for a long time. I accepted the situation and told myself that I will be fine. I was abused by a stranger, which made it difficult for me to get justice but I told myself that abuse is something that you cannot run away from.
Lack of sleep is a common challenge for many survivors of gender-based violence.
One of the male survivors in the study, a married man, spoke of the difficulty of dealing with societal norms which are rooted in patriarchy. There’s a local saying which captures the typical attitude: indoda yokwenyani ayikhali (“a real man does not cry”).
There appeared to be a general sense that gender-based violence would not change, so women and men just accepted and normalised it.
Next steps
An effective response to gender-based violence requires sufficient staffing of response facilities. There is also a need for robust communication tools and training to handle remote support scenarios as happened during COVID.
Gender-based violence is a serious problem that needs a multi-faceted response. Governments, and non-profit, non-governmental and civil society organisations must work together. This will help in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality. Gender equality is a fundamental human right. It is a foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. While some progress has been made in recent decades, the world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030.
To lessen the impact of future crises on survivors of gender-based violence, several steps are essential:
the government must recognise support services as critical in emergencies; social workers must be classified as essential personnel so that they can continue their work without restrictions
essential services such as safe shelters, mental health support and legal aid must be in place, and healthcare services must be fully available, well-equipped and well-staffed
the government must expand and train the social worker workforce, and provide specialised training for any crisis situation in the future
there is need to develop support channels, including online platforms, helplines and mobile outreach programmes
investing in reliable communication technologies and transportation can help people reach support services
long-term strategies should focus on reducing gender inequalities and challenging patriarchal norms.
Bongeka Zawani, a master’s student at the University of Fort Hare, carried out the study this article is based on.
Marinei Herselman and Bongeka Zwani received funding from the University of Fort Hare GMRDC for this study.
By Marinei Herselman, Lecturer, University of Fort Hare
