Please, South Africa, can we all stop using the term "gender based violence"? It is SUCH a horrible term. All violence is bad. ALL violence. I do not think that your genitalia matters when it comes to being a victim of violence. Violence, especially physical violence, is very very rarely, if ever, about just one thing. I don't think women need special treatment when it comes to protecting society against violence and we ESPECIALLY do not need to be discriminating with funds etc when it comes to preventing violence.

Violence is not a female problem or a child problem or a weak person problem or anything else. It is a human problem and will only ever be solved by evolving our humanity - regardless of what's between our legs.

Couldn't agree more, as a former victim I can attest to the fact that violence does not choose gender, age or race

Some good points raised oraljim

And while we at it, I want to also mention that we should STOP talking about saving the rhino.

All animals matter and killing of all animals should be in the discussion, not just one.

I mean what's the point in that? Violence is violence.

Let's stop with this save the rhino talk, it's not fair to snakes, leopards, hyenas, etc.

Dear oral...i do agree with your sentiment to a point...i too have been a victim of crime on more than one occasion, this is SA after all, and then begins the horrible truth of much many, like yourself and others in ivory towers and privileges might find it hard to relate to.

I am NO feminist or woman libber...love being the fairer sex and treated as such and thus...have been brought up with strong understanding of "traditional" roles of male and female...navigating my life in a very modern topsy turvy world where, near anything goes and political correctness excuses every evil under the sun.

It is the same as the race card being played over and over in this country, and being told to get over it....not taking into cogniscance that each and every person has their truth and pain to be told and taken note of.

When sweeping generalisations empower a dangerous practise considered just a part of an overall picture.

Quoted...

" SA is a country that is notorious for its high levels of GBV.
The SAPS statistics for REPORTED CASES for 2019/2020 IS 42 289 and for sexual assaut 7 7749, amid HUGE under-reporting of rape.
Intimate femicide is FIVE TIMES the global average"

"The desire to embrace a metropolitan lifestyle and reject the rules and contradictions of tribal loyalty and heritage"...this dichotomy between the sexes inherent in modern society looking for a happy blend between patariarchy and matriarchy.

You see...until such time, we as humans, can address why certain crimes, SPECIFIC AND RELEVANT TO AREA AND SPACE...do take place and are ON THE RISE, how it affects society on the whole, and what is it that EMPOWERS IT...then it becomes a concern more prevalent.

As to the rhino talk dear lexington...there too i agree with u that animal cruelty on the whole is an evil...but a point to ponder...."Panda numbers have increased by more than 15% in the last ten years. ... species at risk of extinction after their population increased by 17% in a decade." WWF

Hopefully, bringing attention to the rhino will take it off the endangered species.

And my add on....why is there no discussion or concern about our personal carbon footprint, carbon emission...especially since everybody wants to live forever through their younglings and theirs and theirs...?...our lifestyle will be the end of us before corona or any other virus takes us out...how stupid and self centred we are...we should hang our heads in shame.

RB.

respectfully don't agree, women are more vulnerable
I've seen bad men over the years look at me and because of my build they've backed down and haven't tried anything

I'm sure if they knew I'm not strong they would've tried something, so as men we are privileged. Obviously I can't stop a gun or knife, but anything else I'm not worried

On 2021-11-23 13:44:47 lukeyt said:
respectfully don't agree, women are more vulnerable
I've seen bad men over the years look at me and because of my build they've backed down and haven't tried anything

I'm sure if they knew I'm not strong they would've tried something, so as men we are privileged. Obviously I can't stop a gun or knife, but anything else I'm not worried

Also don't have a problem with the "GBV" concept, and statistics prove that to be the case.

That term sells newspapers

I agree with the general sentiment of your post, and the need for South Africans to evolve our humanity,but, gbv is a real issue in this country owing mostly to backward cultural attitudes towards women and their role in society. And we evolve as a society by raising awareness and addressing such issues.

On 2021-11-23 06:20:53 Russian Bridgitte said:
...many, like yourself and others in ivory towers and privileges might find it hard to relate to.

Me? Ivory tower? You don't know me at all if you think I live in an ivory tower.

FWIW most of the responses missed my point. I am not disputing that women are far more often the victims of violence in the home than men. What I totally dispute is that violence towards women is somehow worse than violence towards men. It is not. If you get killed you are just as dead if you have a penis or a vagina and that the way of dealing with the problem doesn't involve simply looking at victim statistics. We need actual actionable things at the grass roots level that teaches *everybody* about mutual respect for other human being because they are HUMAN, not because they are a FEMALE human or a MALE human or a YOUNG human or an OLD human - they are all just human and that alone should be protection from violence.

We will never get to that point while all efforts to address violence are based on punitive measures as opposed to actually educating people and lifting them even slightly higher on the economic scale. Its not going to get solved if people simply dismiss certain actions as "cultural". Some things are just universally bad, no matter your age, race, gender, location, culture or any other immutable characteristic.

Calling women the "weaker sex" is part of the problem - you are essentially creating future victims by having women walking around thinking they are weaker. Your humanity should be all the shield you need.