As part of the Government Employees Medical Scheme’s (GEMS) ongoing effort to educate our members and future members on a range of healthcare topics, we would like to provide you with some valuable information on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Each year, on November 25, the world commemorates the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women. This day is marked to raise public awareness about violence against women, a problem that often does not receive enough attention.
There are many different types of violent acts committed against women: sexual assault, domestic violence, incest, forced prostitution and trafficking. Women are also faced with non-physical forms of violence such as emotional or psychological abuse, intimidation and harassment.
- The World Health Organisation calls violence against women “a problem of pandemic proportions” and states that one in every three women around the world has been physically abused in her lifetime — most often by someone she knows personally;
- 1 400 South African women die from abuse by their partners each year, according to People Opposing Women Abuse (Powa);
- One in six women in Gauteng who die are killed by an intimate partner (Powa);
- According to the United Nations Population Fund, violence kills and disables as many women between the ages of 15 and 44 as cancer and its toll on women’s health surpasses that of traffic accidents and malaria combined.
Rape affects the lives of thousands of South African women, many of whom are infected with HIV by their assailants.
Domestic violence is another serious matter that is often swept under the carpet. Most abused women are too afraid to speak out about their situation, so they try to hide it from the rest of the world. Make-up, clothes and scarves are often used as camouflage for bruises and other signs of assault.
Physical abuse of women often leads to injuries, some of which can sometimes lead to long-term health complications and, as indicated in the above statistics, even death. However, while many women die from violent acts, abuse does not always have to involve physical actions — it can be emotional, too.
Zanele, from Port Elizabeth, has recently left her husband who taunted and terrified her constantly. Looking back, she says she always thinks of a particular incident: “He stood in the doorway, looking around the house with a disgusted look on his face even though he knew that I had been sick that day and had not been able to clean. He started picking things up and throwing them across the room, yelling at me, asking if this was what I wanted, over and over again. I was terrified.”
While Zanele, fortunately, got away from her desperate situation and can talk about it openly, there are many women who have suffered from violent acts or are living with abuse who try to hide it even though what they need more than anything is support and help.
Whether a victim of psychological or physical abuse, or a combination of the two, abused women often suffer from depression, insomnia, lack of confidence, anger, fear, shame and self-blame, believing that it is their fault that they are being abused.
If you know a woman who has suffered or is suffering at the hands of a violent abuser, you may be able to help by talking to her about it and contacting Powa on 011 642 4345/6 or visiting their website at www.powa.co.za.