W Langson & Associates dedicated to fighting gender-based violence

The W Langson & Associates team are often caught in the crossfire of domestic abuse, acting as mediators, counsellors and psychologists.

However, this does not stop them assisting the public when it comes to daily emotional traumas such as gender-based violence (GBV), which is a profound problem in SA. GBV does not discriminate; we live in a society that is subjected to gender power inequality that can lead to violence. 

GBV is a human violation and should be treated as such. In many instances, the survivors are unable to access the proper resources and assistance they need. 

The root cause of GBV cannot be attributed to a single contributing factor. At a community level, the heavy consumption of alcohol and growing up in a home characterised by violence, are factors which contribute to GBV. These carry into adulthood and later become a serious problem. 

It is important to familiarise yourself with the various forms of GBV so you can get help as soon as possible: 

• IPV — Intimate partner violence includes physical, sexual and emotional abuse. The abuse can also manifest as controlling behaviours by your partner. 
• DV — Domestic violence includes all forms of violence carried out by partners or family members. 
• SV — Sexual violence is defined as “any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic, or otherwise directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work.”

These common forms of GBV are always disproportionally directed against women and girls. 

SA is signatory to a number of international treaties on GBV. The country has legislative frameworks such as the Domestic Violence Act (1998), the Sexual Offences Act (2007) and the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Human Persons Act (2013).

These laws and others allow us to bring justice to victims of GBV. But it is not enough for us to have these measures in place. Despite the progressive legislation, their implementation is more important — there is a need for response and prevention to combat GBV. The responses to GBV complaints have to be dealt with on an urgent basis. Effective measures will assist in preventing the violence from occurring and reoccurring. 

Because of the many cultural expectations of masculinity, men are seen as stronger than women and, as a result, there is little light shed on men also being victims of GBV.

Men often feel humiliated and withhold information because of the stigma about being victims of GBV, resulting in few cases being reported. It may come as a shock to learn just how many cases against men there are. There needs to be more awareness that men can also be victims of GBV and many are suffering in silence. 

This article was paid for by W Langson & Associates.