Nhlangano: Statistics revealed that there were 192 people who have lost their
lives due to gender based violence in Eswatini. This comprises of 107 murder
cases and 85 suicide cases.
This statistics were collected from March 2020 up to date, which is the very
same period since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This translates that
there have been more GBV fatalities compared to those of COVID-19 as at least
120 COVID-19 related deaths recorded up to date.
This was revealed by Program Manager Kenneth Makhanya at Nhlangano Aids
Training Information and Counselling Centre (NATICC) when presenting his
project overview. Makhanya was speaking during the NATICC commemoration
of the16 Days of Activism against gander-based violence under the theme;
Orange the World; Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!
The commemoration event was held at Mchinsweni chiefdom in the Shiselweni
region. The event was graced by Public Prosecutor Lucky Vilakati who
unpacked the SODV of 2018. He unpacked the different sections of the Act
including part V (Offences involving children), section 37, section 70, section
71 to name but a few.
The campaign is aimed to encourage the community to report abuse, deaths
caused by GBV.
NATICC encourages people to report any form of Abuse.
Nhlangano AIDS Training Information and Counselling Centre is a faith-based,
non-profit NGO that provides information, training and counselling on
HIV/AIDS in Nhlangano, Swaziland
This is an annual international campaign that kick off on November 25; the
international day for elimination of violence against women, and it runs until
December 10. The 16 days campaign is then concluded by the Human Rights
Day.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku revealed
that violence cases continued to rise in the advent of COVID-19. He said the
reported cases recorded from January to September in 2020 had increased from
1 420 to 9 399. This means that at least 1 000 people became victims of
violence every month.
That is equivalent to about 33 people daily. “It is true for many countries,
including Eswatini, that COVID-19 has worsened the situation and weakened
systems for the protection of vulnerable populations from all forms of violence,
especially domestic violence against women and children, in particular
adolescent girls and young women,” said Masuku.
He noted that during the period of the national emergency, restrictions were set
and this confined many families in one place. He said this forced many abused
women and children to be grounded with their abusers.
He said the purpose of the 16 Days of activism against GBV was creating an
awareness to end violence. He said every year, such gatherings were an
acknowledgement of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly declaration of
November 25 – December 10 as the ‘16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based
Violence’.
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