NearPost

Abuse aimed at women is seemingly a national crisis in South Africa. Whether it is rape, sexual harassment, or a husband’s explosion of rage, violence is so common that few lives have been left untouched by it. According to a research conducted by Medical research council of South Africa and Centre for Public Mental Health, every eight hours (on average), a woman dies at the hands of an intimate partner in South Africa. Furthermore, 36-40% of pregnant women experience physical Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), and 15-19% experience sexual IPV. The violence increases the risk for the baby, which could be born pre-term and with a low birth weight. While many people may see GBV as a new trend in South Africa due to the recent outbreak of media coverage on women abuse, the reality is it’s nothing new in our country. A damning report by the South African demographics and Health survey for 2016, revealed that one in five women has ever experienced physical violence by their par...