This archive report was first published on 20 September 2019.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has convened a joint sitting of Parliament to tackle the escalating crisis of violence against women in the country.
On Wednesday, Ramaphosa addressed the joint sitting, stating that South Africa is one of the most unsafe places in the world for a woman to live, with levels of violence comparable to countries at war.
According to the president, last year, 2,700 women and over 1,000 children died at the hands of another person in South Africa. The police receive over 100 reported rape cases every day, with many more cases of rape and sexual assault going unreported.
Statistics South Africa show that one in five South African women over 18 has experienced physical violence by a partner.
Confronted with the dire situation, Ramaphosa called for a state of emergency to be declared, saying it would enable the country to deal more effectively with the scourge of violence against women.
He emphasized the need for all political parties to prioritize violence against women in their concerns and proposed concrete measures to tackle the challenges together.
As part of the emergency action plan, the government will make necessary amendments to laws and policies to ensure perpetrators of gender-based violence are brought to justice.
The plan, to be implemented over the next six months, will focus on five key areas: prevention of gender-based violence, strengthening the criminal justice system, enhancing the legal and policy framework, providing adequate care and support for victims, and improving women's economic power.
