Gender-based violence (GBV) is defined as any act against women that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, economic or psychological harm or suffering which include threats of such acts as coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.
GBV can take many different forms. It can be physical, sexual, emotional, financial or structural, and can be perpetrated by intimate partners, acquaintances, strangers and institutions.
Non-partner perpetrators include strangers, acquaintances, colleagues including line managers and executives, family members, teachers, peers and other non-romantic relationships (e.g., service providers)
Abuse can happen in a wide range of private and public settings such as within homes, schools, workplaces and service settings
GBV affects women throughout their life, from before birth to elder abuse, and is often exacerbated by cultural, economic, ideological, technological, political, religious, social and environmental factors.The drivers of GBV are made up of a complex web of different factors that function across domains affecting individuals, relationships, communities and whole societies driven by structural, social and political forces. Such factors include gender norms, economic inequalities, social injustices and power imbalances, as well as access to education.
Gender-based Violence in South Africa
GBV is a widespread problem in South Africa, impacting on almost every aspect of life. It is a systemic problem disproportionately affecting women and girls, and is deeply entrenched in South African institutions, cultures and traditions.
Accurate statistics on gender-based violence are difficult to find, but existing data suggests that South Africa has high rates of gender-based violence. Extant research finds that between 25% and 40% of South African women have experienced sexual and/or physical intimate partner violence in their lifetime
Jewkes, R., J. Levin, and L. Penn-Kekana, Risk factors for domestic violence: findings from a South African cross-sectional study. Social Science & Medicine, 2002. 55(9): p. 1603-17; Machisa, M., et al., The War at Home. 2011, Genderlinks, and Gender and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council (MRC) Johannesburg.
GBV is a costly phenomenon
We can conservatively estimate that South Africa has lost more than R36 billion in 2019 alone, due to GBV
The study focused on three major types of costs
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or Costs Forgone such as when the circumstances of violence limit the employment options of the victim
The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women reports that there are systemic failures to protect, support and attain justice for victims of gender-based violence in South Africa. The report points to uneven geographic availability and distribution of responses to gender-based violence across the country, as well as uneven quality of existing services, particularly in rural areas and informal settlements
The Responsible and Sustainable Business Lab at Nottingham Trent University (RSB Lab), the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) and the National Business Initiative’s (NBI) working group on Social Transformation have a longstanding collaboration extending across a wide range of activities focused on addressing GBV. These activities have included research, knowledge exchange roundtables, community workshops and corporate programmes.
As part of this ongoing collaboration, and through our involvement in the WE-DARE network, the RSB Lab, together with GIBS and the NBI working group on Social Transformation has developed this online platform to facilitate systematic responses to GBV in South Africa.
The National Business Initiative’s (NBI) work to address GBV is led by the NBI Social Transformation programme. NBI aims to collectively identify and implement interventions that contribute to the eradication of GBV.
The NBI’s GBV work responds to the view that GBV is a human rights issue and urges South African companies to play a cohesive and active role in eradicating this shadow pandemic.
Companies have a strategic role to play in seeking solutions to these problems, by declaring a ‘zero tolerance’ approach for GBV in all forms, whilst also strengthening existing interventions through collaboration and accountability.
The Responsible and Sustainable Business Lab’s (RSB Lab) research reimagines impactful organisational interventions aimed at enabling sustainable and responsible living. The RSB Lab’s research serves business, government and NGOs that want to improve their social, environmental and governance performance.
The RSB Lab is made up of a team of international scholars who bring diverse perspectives to the table, and through collaboration build strong, long-term partnerships with other institutions. The core team collaborates with a wide network of international scholars and NTU faculty across the business school and university.
The Gordon Institute of Business Science is committed to serving, inspiring and advancing world-class business practices across Africa and beyond. GIBS embraces a human-centric approach to business, striving to make business healthier and more sustainable through decisive leadership, long-term strategic intent, and the development of inclusive, equitable, diverse and climate-sensitive business environments.
GIBS is a core member of the WE-DARE network. The ongoing collaboration between GIBS and the Responsible and Sustainable Business Lab (RSB Lab) at Nottingham Trent University has been at the heart of most WE-DARE related activities and the team assembled between the two institutions is central to the WE-DARE network.
THE REPOSITORY
To contribute towards these aims, NBI and the WE-DARE network seeks to nurture a community of practice with the breadth of expertise that is commensurate with the complexity of this space.
Drawing on leadership across civil society, industry, government, academia, and community organisations, this platform aims to facilitate a multi-pronged approach to addressing GBV and supporting survivors. While Network partners co-develop and pilot local innovations, this online platform is designed to offer a space for disseminating and sharing information, offering support, and enabling peer-to-peer learning and mentorship to support GBV action.
The repository functions as an accessible location in which data, insights and blueprints from different teams, organisations, communities and disciplines all working towards addressing GBV and its causes can be stored and shared.