How Political Parties Plan to takcle Violence Against Women and Girls

There are too many gaps in your current thinking around violence against women – this was the message to political party representatives at a debate organised by the Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre, Women’sNet and the Political Studies Department of Wits University on Thursday 2nd of April in Johannesburg.

The debate focused on how political parties proposed addressing both rape and domestic violence – both significant challenges to the country's development.

In the lively debate the audience challenged parties on a number of issues, wanting to know their stance on violence targeting lesbians, or their approach to gun control. Others wanted to know how their economic policies recognised and responded to abused women’s economic dependency on their partners. An audience member who was a resident at the shelter where the debate took place, told her story of domestic violence and challenged parties to ensure that women's shelters are supported and made accessible to women who are forced to flee their homes.

Some party's proposals included reintroducing the death penalty – which drew a mixed response from the audience. Others suggested establishing women’s courts staffed only by women and ensuring that abusive men, rather than women and children, were forced to leave the home. This suggestion was challenged by an audience member from the Legal Aid Board who argued that this would perpetuate the notion that domestic violence and rape are a women's issue only.

The UDM committed itself to examining the laws around property rights that prevented the eviction of abusive men, while the ID said it would commit itself to examining ways of funding service organisations and shelters. In turn, party representatives invited the audience to challenge and hold them to account on issues of violence against women. They proposed that regular debates be organised, and not only at election time, where they could engage with civil society on the issues.

For the first time women voters, however, these promises were met with some skepticism: “They only talked about how they could change things if we vote for them. Why don't they start now with those changes?” Maninas, 20.

It's clear from this debate that political parties must work on more substantive, concrete and thought through proposals to help end violence against women.

Parties represented at the debate included: 

African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP)                  Mrs Thembela Papu

African National Congress (ANC)                                 Premier Edna Molewa

Congress of the People (COPE)                         Nolitha Vukuza-Linda

Democratic Alliance (DA)                                             Janet Semple

Freedom Front Plus                                                       Louwretta Jacobs

Independent Democrats (ID)                                         Rose Gudlhuza

Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP)                                         Mrs Khomo

United Democratic Movement (UDM)               Mrs Thandi Nontenja

Women Forward (WF)                                      Nana Ngobesi-Nxumalo