A local solution for a local problem

“It is a fact that a woman born in South Africa has a greater chance of being raped than learning to read.” This, according to BBC correspondent Carolyn Dempster, is the reality many women and children in South Africa face on a daily basis — a shocking indictment of a society espousing values of freedom and democracy.

South Africa has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the world. Recent South African Police Service records show that 51 249 rapes were reported in 1999. This increased to 52 860 in 2000. Since democracy in 1994 until last year, recorded rapes have increased by 28%, according to the Institute for Security Studies.

We have no idea what the prevalence of unreported rape in South Africa is because these figures capture incidences of reported rape only. National government has made a strong political commitment to addressing violence against women, yet these rape statistics tell a very different story. Where are we going wrong?

Sexual violence affects all women irrespective of class, race or socio-economic position. However, certain groups of women are more vulnerable to increased levels of sexual violence, such as homeless women and sex workers.

In general, though, because women are different, their safety and security requirements differ. National polices and strategies aimed at fighting sexual violence brush over these complexities and provide a one-size-fits-all strategy.

While a broad national frame-work is important, it does not cater for the realities that women experience in their daily lives. In other words, this is a local problem and needs a local solution.

Internationally, there has been a move towards developing more local crime-prevention strategies and service delivery programmes because crime and violence occur in local contexts. In South Africa the development of municipal police services follows this pattern.

Local government authorities have an important role to play in addressing the escalating levels of violence against women. As the site of service delivery they are uniquely placed to interface among national and provincial government, and communities and other stakeholders in developing strategies to reduce the levels and nature of violence.

At present, however, South African cities respond to the effects of violence against women by providing shelters for survivors of domestic violence or developing service directories. This narrow focus on service provision fails to address the underlying causes of violence against women, nor does it lead to the prevention or eradication of it.

Increasing evidence shows that prevention interventions at a local level can be effective in reducing levels of violence and crime in communities. An example of this is the Agisanang Domestic Abuse and Prevention Training, a community-based organisation in Alexandra that does work in crime prevention with young men.

Moreover, the role of local authorities in mobilising various stakeholders (community members, police, NGOs and community-based support groups) to achieve such an objective has received wide support.

NGOs have led the way in developing innovative strategies to address violence against women. These include education programmes involving men and women, awareness campaigns, providing training to government officials, conducting research and gathering information on the nature and extent of violence against women.

Yet, these organisations receive very little financial support from local authorities. In a survey — administered last year by the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation — on government support to non-profit organisations that help women who experience violence, it was reported that only four of the 141 organisations that responded received financial support from local government during the period January 1 2000 to May 1 last year.

Where assistance was received from this tier of government, it was in the form of in-kind support — that is, office space. While it is acknowledged that local municipalities are under enormous fiscal constraint, the long-term impact of this lack of support cannot be ignored.

The research also points to several examples of NGOs providing services to women experiencing violence. These include both direct service provision in the form of counselling and sheltering, or violence prevention work in the form of education workshops and information dissemination.

Many of the organisations work at a local level and have formed successful partnerships with various government departments involved in safety and security issues. However, the lack of government financial support impedes their ability to work effectively and ensure sustainability in their programmes.

Partnerships between local government authorities and organisations working in communities may contribute to addressing violence against women at a local level. Local government authorities have the political power, while organisations have the skills, expertise and a track record in conducting such work. Additionally, local government will not have to start from scratch, as there are a number of organisations providing violence prevention services already.

The potential benefits of localised crime-prevention strategies targeted at women could be significant. It makes good business sense as citizens, especially women and children, might feel an enhanced sense of safety. Other positive spin-offs include increased local economic activity, which could lead to employment creation, as well as a reduction in spending on the administration of the criminal justice system and more spending on social upliftment programmes.

So, what can local authorities do to address this problem? First, they have to be proactive in their approach to violence against women. Incorporating a gender analysis in debates on safety is necessary to ensure that women’s needs are addressed. This should be done in the following ways: