The crisis we refuse to see
June 19, 2020
The UN recently predicted that lockdown could lead to a 20% surge in domestic violence, as victims remain trapped at home with their abusers. They’re calling this the coronavirus “shadow pandemic”, and like President Ramaphosa recently noted, South Africa is not immune.
Words: Lorenzo Davids Images: Supplied
In South Africa, the national Gender-Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC) is receiving triple the amount of calls from women who are trapped at home with their abusive partners. And, while the easing of lockdown restrictions could help reduce the threat, the safety of victims is still a considerable concern as the scourge of violence against women marred South Africa long before the virus erupted.
