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Following on the Beijing
Declaration and Platform of Action, and the 1998 SADC Addendum to the Declaration on Gender and Development
some countries – Botswana Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South
Africa and Swaziland – identified gender violence as a priority.
In almost all the SADC countries,
violence has been narrowly defined as il-legal and criminal acts of force.
However, a closer look indicates that gender violence is much more complex. For in-stance,
there is widespread violation of one’s psychological and emotional well-being,
and other related threats and arbitrary deprivations of liberties in both
private and public sectors.
At a conference held in Maseru, Lesotho
from 11-16 December 2000 to re-view the implementation of the SADC Addendum on the Prevention and
Eradication of Violence Against Women and Children, it was reported that
governments have taken some measures to eradicate gender violence.
Many countries have done a great deal of work in education, training and
awareness building, including training of service providers such as police,
prison, and justice officers among others.
Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, Tanzania and South Africa have
undertaken some legal reforms. The Namibian government last year passed a bill to
combat rape, which proposes a minimum six-year sentence. The bill also redefines
rape to reflect the reality that boys and men can be raped too.
Seychelles has passed the Family
Violence Protection of Victims Act, which aims to prevent domestic violence and
seeks to empower the Family Tribunal established under the Children’s Act, to
entertain applications for protection orders.
Mauritius passed the Domestic Violence Act in 1997, which has since been
amended, to protect women from domestic violence. Other acts introduced in
that country include the Child Protection (Miscellaneous) Act, the Criminal
Code (Amendment) Act and the Criminal Code |
Supplementary (Amendment) Act enacted by the National Assembly
in 1998.
Tanzania enacted the Sexual Offences Provision Act in 1998. The Act
contains special provisions regarding rape, unnatural sexual offences,
prostitution, trafficking of persons for the purposes of trading in sex, child sexual
abuse, sexual harassment and female genital mutilation.
South Africa’s Domestic Violence Act of 1998 allows battered spouses to
obtain a court order against a partner and recognises rape in marriage.
The country has also created a more user-friendly system for victims of gender
violence, by simplifying procedures. |
have come together under the name “All Against Violence” to run a programme
covering civic education, support for victims of gender violence, and
lobbying for the reform of laws that violate women’s rights.
In Lesotho, civic groups marked the Rape Alliance Day
with a peaceful march to the office of the Minister of Justice and Human Rights to present a
petition calling for speedy disposal of rape cases.
Consequently, the Sexual Offences Bill 2000 was
drafted. In Swaziland, the Action Group Against Abuse launched a white ribbon
campaign.
A media workshop ran parallel to the Maseru
conference. Its aim was to raise |
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Zambia and Zimbabwe have also
created such systems, especially for child victims of rape and abuse, to sensitise
policy makers and law enforcement agents on the effects of domestic
violence among other forms of violence on women.
Civil society has also played a critical role in the region in raising aware-ness
and lobbying and advocating for violence free societies and communities.
In Angola, for instance, centres have been established by the Angolan
Women’s Organisation to give battered women legal assistance. In Mozambique,
or-ganisations involved in gender issues
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awareness on violence against women and how to report it to
ensure maximum coverage in the mainstream media. It concluded that there is need
for the media to be active participants in the struggle against gender violence.
The conference also recommended the need to
transform the SADC Declaration on Gender ad Development and the Addendum on Violence
Against Women and Children into a protocol that binds SADC member states.
An integrated approach by all
stakeholders to gender violence was also recommended to ensure efficiency in
programmes.
By Alice Kwaramba |
