Stop Gender-Based Violence - PSA

While gender-based violence has recently emerged as a leading topic in South Africa especially on social media platforms, it has always been outlined predominantly with violence against women and girls, particularly sexual violence.

Most recently, headlines such as Karabo Mokoena's murder reignited the national conversation on this issue through extensive media reportage and public engagement.

Her death started huge media attention on the disappearance and murders of other women and children, rape culture and other forms of violent physical assault on women.

26-year-old Durban University of Technology (DUT) student, Senzo Mfeka believes that the reason why guys are murdering women these days is because they’re actually feeling insecure,
“They’re feeling weak, they can’t handle the truth because if a person doesn’t want you then what’s the point of you forcing them to actually want you?” Mfeka elaborates.

Gender based violence violates a number of women’s rights, including the right to life, the right not to be subject to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the right to equal protection and/or the right to equality.

We cannot ignore the fact that men are more likely to die as a result of armed conflict, violence by strangers and suicide, yet on the other hand, women are more likely to die at the hands of somebody they know this includes an intimate partner or former partner.

As a journalist, I thought that it is fitting to do a Public Service Announcement, dedicated to the young women that have lost their lives due to violence or who were abducted anywhere around in South Africa.

We are human, we deserve to live, we also need to rid of stereotypes and victim blaming such as "SHE ASKED FOR IT" , "HER DRESS WAS TOO SHORT", "WHY WAS SHE ON THE STREETS ALONE", "WHY DIDN'T SHE RUN AWAY", etc... No woman "asks for it."

Let us stand together and unite.