TODAY, 25 November, marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
It’s an annual United Nations campaign that runs until 10 December.
According to statistics, between the first quarter of last year and the first quarter of this year, there was a 52% increase in the number of women murdered and a 46% increase in the number of children murdered.
The campaign aims to raise awareness around gender-based violence (GBV).
President Cyril Ramaphosa has described GBV as a pandemic.
With several interventions and commitmentshave being made to combat violence against women and children, technology has also been introduced.
Cristianne Wendler, strategic adviser at Shout-It-Now, a South African non-profit company that empowers youth to own their sexuality,shares their vision of how technology can be used to fight GBV.
“One example of this is our free WhatsApp chatbot service called Chomi, which was launched in August this year.
“Chomi is an engaging, easy-to-use chatbot that enables GBV survivors to anonymously get information, explore options and to confidentially connect to support services they need,” said Wendler.
She said Chomi uses basic technology to deliver essential information, advice backed by experts and service referrals to GBV survivors, or people who wish to help a survivor.
“The intention of the chatbot is to put information and options in the hands of the survivor and to facilitate prevention wherever possible,” said Wendler.
The app is expected to go live this month. providing assistance in English, isiZulu, Setswana and isiXhosa
Wendler said: “The technology behind Chomi isn’t expensive or cutting edge, but it is effective and most importantly, survivor-centred. We identified an opportunity to invest in this technology and the outcome is that it’s helping to fight the scourge of gender-based violence in the country.”
The organisation has called on the private sector to get involved and partner with them to expand the functionality of Chomi in order to deliver more languages and create an integrated network of service providers to facilitate referrals and service delivery across the country.
Wendler added: “Technology offers us solutions we’ve never had before and bottom line, we need solutions in the fight against gender-based violence. We need to continue to push for innovative solutions that both prevent gender-based violence and also get survivors the services they need.”
Last year, financial services provider Indwe Risk Services launched My Personal Lifeline intended to get the survivor to a place of safety, to limit further harm.
The insurance company said in addressing GBV, it is important to understand its contributing factors.
It said there’s no single factor that can be blamed for gender-based violence but a comprehensive view of culture, socio-economic status, religion, and community life is needed.
According to Indwe, financial dependency, patriarchal cultures and religions and alcohol abuse goes hand-in-hand with gender-based violence.
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Peter Olyott, CEO of Indwe Risk Services, said: “Sadly, GBV is a very real danger for far too many women and young girls in South Africa. It’sGBV is a complex social issue that is difficult to address and that’s why the 16 Days of Activism campaign is so important.The only way to overcome the scourge of GBV is to understand it and to face it head-on.”
Meanwhile, Sonke Gender Justice will today, 25 November, in collaboration with the City of Joburg and Masiphephe Network, unveil a mural under the theme: “Leaving no one behind: understanding the National Strategic Plan and raising awareness to community members.’’
The mural seeks to begin a dialogue on the National Strategic Plan pillars and encourage participation in the fight against GBV.
