Gender-Based Violence: A South African Problem

Imagine a world where we would not be judged by our appearance, gender, or sex, but be judged on our character and actions. This, unfortunately, is just imagination. Ideal as it may be, appealing as it is, we as a global community have been divided by shared ignorance and animosity. There are blatant human rights violations occurring in all parts of the world, but after reading Trevor Noah: Born A Crime, I would like to focus on South Africa.

The history of apartheid and segregation in South Africa speaks for itself. The country is still left picking up the pieces of a broken nation as its foundational racism was beginning to crack. Although apartheid is seen as to be vacant, that doesn’t mean there is no discrimination. Gender-based violence has been on a steep incline over the past few decades. Women and girls are inhumanely targeted, dishonored, and abused, both physically, sexually, and emotionally. According to reports made by the Amnesty International organization “murders of women increased by 10.3%, with 989 women killed between July and September. Sexual offences increased by 11%, and rape by 10.8%”. As staggering as these numbers are, they seem to only be increasing. The apparent belief of South African officials is that women are “less-than” men, a step below the “superior” race. The violence is a direct violation of Article 5 in the Human Rights Declaration, which states “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”.

How does this relate to Trevor Noah’s novel? As he grew up in South Africa, he was a firsthand witness to all the abuse and violations that occurred. In the novel, Trevor details the abuse that happened to his mother. Patricia’s partner, Abel, was abusive and dominating. He eventually killed her after years of traumatic abuse. This example displays the imbalance of power between men and women in South Africa. Trevor provides a list of examples when it comes to gender-based assault, with quotes such as "my mother was a victim of domestic violence. My stepfather would beat her regularly. He would come home drunk and pick fights with her" (32) and "the girls at my school were also vulnerable. They were often catcalled and harassed by boys and men on the street" (144).

Government Officials need to put policies in place to protect women and their rights. Police and high-society figures need to adhere to the Human Rights Declaration and properly practice its laws. Support for this fight must continue and women need to have a voice. Organizations such as the Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International need to continue to report on these crimes to hopefully bring about institutional change in South Africa.

Works Cited:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/01/africa/south-africa-women-protest/index.html

https://theconversation.com/change-what-south-african-men-think-of-women-to-combat-their-violent-behaviour-167921

https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/africa/southern-africa/south-africa/report-south-africa/

https://www.dw.com/en/human-rights-watch-gender-based-violence-remains-rampant-in-south-africa/a-59923515

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cznOmh8_ijrUZeyWuBmgYtGm66JOK4UG/view

Noah, Trevor. Born a Crime. John Murray, 2017.