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Violence against women in South Africa: state response to domestic violence and rape

This report underscores the need for the South African government to improve its response to domestic violence and rape. These types of gender-based violence against women remain at extraordinarily high levels and, while there are encouraging initiatives, the state response has so far lacked the necessary commitment and sustained attention. The new South African government has pledged to ensure women a full and equal role in every aspect of the economy and society. Yet South African women continue to face extraordinarily high levels of violence which prevent them from enjoying the rights they are guaranteed under the new dispensation. Domestic violence and sexual assault are pervasive and are directed almost exclusively against women. South African women’s organizations estimate that perhaps as many as one in every three women will be raped and that one in six women is in an abusive domestic relationship.South African women victims of violence continue to face a judicial and police system that routinely denies them redress. Women, regardless of race, complain of indifferent or hostile treatment from the criminal justice system; and black women in particular face lingering racial prejudice in their interactions with the authorities. Police are frequently ignorant of the laws protecting women from violence and, within the courts, judges often discount rape survivors’ testimony and give lenient sentences to rapists.

Availability
KP.VII.1.000124KP.VII.1 INT vMy LibraryAvailable
Detail Information
Series Title
-
Call Number
KP.VII.1 INT v
Publisher
New York : Human Rights Watch.,
Collation
vii, 132p. ; 23cm.
Language
English
ISBN/ISSN
1564321622
Classification
KP.VII.1
Content Type
-
Media Type
-
Carrier Type
-
Edition
-
Subject(s)
Kekerasaan terhadap perempuan
Afrika Selatan
Specific Detail Info
-
Statement of Responsibility
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