IOL launches specialised Gender-Based Violence Desk to intensify coverage of South Africa’s GBV crisis

The Independent Online (IOL) has recently launched a specialized Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Desk aimed at intensifying coverage of South Africa's GBV crisis. The new desk, led by senior editors Yogas Nair and Liesl van der Schyff, will oversee in-depth reporting on various aspects of GBV, including gender-based violence and femicide, intimate-partner violence, sexual violence, violence against children, domestic abuse, the criminal justice system, policing and prosecution, access to justice, survivor experiences, prevention initiatives, government policy, and institutional accountability.

IOL CEO Viasen Soobramoney emphasized the importance of treating gender-based violence as a critical national issue requiring sustained journalism and investigation. The GBV Desk aims to maintain GBV as a priority in IOL's editorial coverage, moving beyond individual tragedies to address the broader issues of prevention, accountability, and societal normalization of violence.

The desk will collaborate with journalists, experts, researchers, civil society organizations, legal professionals, law-enforcement agencies, and survivor-support organizations to ensure the quality and depth of its reporting.

Brief written by urgent.news from IOL's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.