Protecting women requires funding the full justice and policing chain
South Africa has laws, strategies and institutions to combat gender-based violence and femicide. What is missing is a sufficiently funded frontline system that protects women where they live, travel and work; responds quickly to threats and supports survivors from their first report through to justice.
South Africa's laws, strategies, and institutions to combat gender-based violence and femicide are in place, but the missing piece is a sufficiently funded frontline system that protects women where they live, travel, and work. The discovery of women's bodies in Ekurhuleni highlights the gap between policy and protection, and it is crucial that police personnel and public money are directed to the communities facing the greatest danger.
Visible policing is a critical measure of that protection, and the nation must ensure that there is a responsive budget that funds deployable capacity, including trained officers on predictable foot and vehicle patrols in high-risk areas, properly staffed Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences units, functioning vehicles and communications, and manageable detective caseloads.
Brief written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
