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Helpline a lifeline for victims of GBV in Pretoria
According to statistics from a report on gender-based violence (GBV), Pretoria is second on the list of South African cities from which people make the most emergency calls.
The report was compiled by the TEARS Foundation in partnership with the University of Johannesburg.
It reveals precise statistics of the locations and victim profiles in cases of GBV around the country.
In the period January 2020 to December 2023, 90 calls per 100 000 residents, or 3 640 calls in total, were made to the helpline from within Pretoria.
The most calls were made to the emergency helpline from Johannesburg: 94 calls per 100 000 residents, or 4 528 calls in total.
The information was obtained from the organisation’s Help-at-your-fingertips helpline.
The helpline is a USSD service (*134*7355#) for victims that sends information via cellphone, making use of simple fast-based technology. With these short text services, text messages are not stored on the receiver or sender’s devices, supporting interaction.
While the findings were based on 53 004 calls received countrywide over four years, this figure excludes calls that were incomplete, of those who wanted to remain anonymous and those that could not be captured for the purpose of accuracy.
TEARS founder, Mara Glennie, said the research report mainly focuses on the time, location and frequency of calls from the same number, and the incidence of calls during certain times of the year such as during school or public holidays.
She believed the report is “a call to action to prioritise gender-based violence”.
The findings include those days of the week with the most calls countrywide for four years: Sundays (8 541), followed by Tuesdays (8 524) and Mondays (8 332).
Glennie said the data may help organisations fighting GBV to better utilise resources.
“Also to determine what type of support is necessary and how effective interventions are,” she said.
Glennie said South Africa can only deal with GBV and femicide by placing greater emphasis including within the workplace, upon prevention and response to incidents.
“We recommended that organisations and workplaces make mechanisms for complaints and responses available for employees.”
Professor Corné Davis of the University of Johannesburg said the report revealed the imbalance of power relations within families and communities, which forms a part of the main cause of GBV.
“Such violence affects both men and women. It tends however to target women specifically for various reasons and has a disproportionate impact on them,” she added.
- For further information, visit the TEARS website at tears.co.za.
- – To read the report, visit: https://rb.gy/4bhncz.
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