Rooting out GBV - SA dubbed the gender-based violence (GBV) capital of the world

By Marcel Korth, Principal: Living with Dignity and GBV Programme Manager at Anglo American.

South Africa has been dubbed the gender-based violence (GBV) capital of the world. Despite President Cyril Ramaphosa calling GBV a war against our women and children, more than 2,700 South African women and 1,000 children were killed last year – that is one woman being killed every four hours! The only way this will change is if we first understand the root causes of the problem, and then involve all those involved in a broader conversation about violence and gender norms.

There aren’t any societies in the world where GBV does not exist. But it is certainly more prevalent in countries where there is a culture of violence, and where there are deeply embedded beliefs of male superiority – like South Africa. This belief in male superiority is reinforced by patriarchal systems and structures which assign certain roles to women and girls, and weakens their position in communities.

In patriarchal societies, providing an income for the family is often considered the ultimate role for a man. As a result, boys and young men’s image of what it means to be a man is frequently linked to power and exerting control over the household, and this sometimes leads to a view that the use of violence is a legitimate means to exercise this power.

The problem with male-dominated societies is that they’re bad for women’s empowerment, and indeed for everyone’s well-being – be they women, men, boys or girls. Confining women to their reproductive and caregiving roles, restricts their participation in the labour market, justifies discriminatory practices, and limits their career development. Worse than that, it puts women at risk of violence at home, at work and in public spaces. Men, in turn, miss out on taking on household and care work, more often than not losing out on building strong and nurturing relationships within their families – and in turn reinforcing the limited views of men as providers of financial means.

Here lies an immense opportunity for the mining industry, as a male-dominated industry, to make momentous and long-lasting contributions to preventing violence and empowering women, boys and girls. Breaking down the patriarchal systems behind persistent gender imbalances, offers a remarkable opportunity to shift both norms and behavioural patterns. There is a risk of course that, further violence and sexual harassment is triggered when men sense a threat to their masculinity and a shift in the status quo that has favoured them in the past.

That’s where businesses have a huge role to play in driving a greater and deeper understanding of the complex systems and dynamics that lie at the root of GBV. At Anglo American, we’re active members in global networks that deepen understanding of GBV and the role of the private sector in addressing it. We’re building awareness, knowledge and understanding of GBV across the business, and beyond. We’re patently clear on the fact that we have zero tolerance for GBV in our workplaces, communities, homes and schools. We assert that we can only be safe when everyone is safe.

To make meaningful progress in the fight against GBV, we must do a couple of things. One is to build strong partnerships: between women and men, between civil society and the private sector, between employers and communities.

Another is to make men and boys part of the solution. Men can, and do, make choices about their actions every day. But it’s critical to start a conversation that highlights the notion that achieving equality can benefit all, and that equalising power relations does not necessarily involve winners and losers. By involving everyone in the conversation – victims, perpetrators and bystanders alike – we can create greater awareness of the effects of the scourge on all members of our society.

These conversations start with those who raise and influence boys and men. They must take place in safe spaces. They must highlight the strengths that women and men bring to the conversation, and empower them to develop sustainable strategies for transforming attitudes, practices and behaviours. We see these conversations as a crucial part of the foundation of our ambition to create safe workplaces, safe homes, safe schools and safe communities.

We believe that how children are socialised, what they are taught about the roles, responsibilities and freedoms of boys and girls, and what they learn about the utility and acceptability of violence, will influence their future lives. Including both women and men, and boys and girls, in these transformative processes is a critical way to begin breaking down the intergenerational cycles of violence against women and children in communities.

In South Africa, the Stepping Stones intervention used critical reflection processes on gender and power relations among men living in informal settlements to achieve a remarkable reduction in men’s perpetration of violence against women, and an improvement in women’s and men’s ability to communicate with their partners in ways that build stronger, and longer lasting relationships. Moreover, the programme achieved an increase in women’s monthly earnings, women’s and men’s savings, and engagement in the labour market. From 2022 onwards, Anglo American will work with partners to facilitate similar processes in the communities in which we operate.

The journey towards gender equality still has a long way to go. But as global gender equality action group Promundo says, in a gender equal world, everybody wins. A gender equal world is healthier, wealthier, more productive, and more peaceful. Gender equality is not only a woman’s issue, it’s a societal issue, and all people have a role to play in achieving it.

But first we need to talk.