By Thoboloko Ntšonyane
MASERU- Everyday, women around the world face a silent epidemic of violence that remains deeply entrenched in societal norms. An estimated 736 million women nearly one in three have endured physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or non-partner at least once in their lives.
This staggering picture is painted by the UN Women data and it excludes sexual harassment but highlights the pervasive harm inflicted on women globally.
Women subjected to such violence are reportedly at higher risk of depression, anxiety, unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV, leaving indelible scars on their physical and emotional well-being.
The most prevalent form of violence against women stems from those they trust the most intimate partners. Over 640 million women aged 15 and older, translating to 26%, have suffered intimate partner violence, according to UN Women.
In 2023 alone, approximately 51,100 women and girls were killed by intimate partners or family members, translating to 140 lives lost every day. Shockingly, while 60% of female homicides occur within families, only 12% of male homicides share this context, underscoring the gendered nature of domestic violence and its lethal consequences.
In Lesotho, where patriarchal norms persist, gender-based violence (GBV) is a pressing concern.
High rates of intimate partner violence and femicide cases persist even during the recently ended 16 days of activism against GBV calling for urgent action to protect women and foster societal change.
The Minister of Gender, Youth and Social Development, Hon Pitso Lesaoana has reiterated that GBV does harm to the next person perpetrated against.
The Minister acknowledged that the government has fallen short in economically empowering women to build resilience and independence, reducing their reliance on male partners. This shortcoming is critical as some women endure harassment and abuse from their partners and hesitate to report such cases, fearing repercussions from the very individuals who provide for them.
According to Afrobarometer, 56% of respondents in Lesotho believe women are likely to face victimisation if they report cases of gender-based violence (GBV).
The study further reveals that 38% of respondents across 39 African nations perceive GBV as either “somewhat common” or “very common” in their communities.
Afrobarometer’s report underscored GBV as a significant threat to Lesotho’s development and economy. It also highlighted GBV as a key driver of the country’s alarmingly high HIV prevalence, which, at 23.2% per data issued by the UNAIDS, and it is the third-highest globally.
While women often bear the brunt of GBV and abuse, particularly from their partners, the 16 Days of Activism have also seen cases where young women have allegedly killed their partners over infidelity. These incidents have sparked widespread debate across various media platforms.
Giving an overview of the drivers of GBV in Lesotho, Dr Josephine Hapazari, a Sociology lecturer from the National University of Lesotho (NUL), highlighted the key socio-economic and ecological factors contributing to the crisis. Drawing from Heise’s (1998) ecological model of violence, Dr Hapazari categorises the drivers of GBV into four interconnected levels: ontological, micro, exo, and macro.
At the ontological level, individual experiences such as childhood trauma, absentee fathers, living with disabilities, and exposure to risky behaviours like alcohol, drug abuse, and aggressive conduct create a foundation for GBV.
The micro level shifts focus to close social relationships, including family, friends, intimate partners, and peers, where individuals may act as victims or perpetrators of violence.
At the exo level, Dr Hapazari pointed to the systemic socio-economic factors such as unemployment, financial dependency, and low economic status.
The macro level addresses broader societal structures, with Dr Hapazari emphasising entrenched gender inequalities, male dominance, rigid sex roles, and toxic masculinity.
Dr Hapazari also underscored the need for multi-level interventions that address individual, community, and structural determinants of GBV to effectively reduce its prevalence in Lesotho.
These challenges are compounded by pressures in workplaces and neighbourhoods, which often perpetuate vulnerability to GBV and also failure to report incidents and the subsequent withdrawal of reported cases are feared to further exacerbate the issue.
She said the Minister should lose sleep over the GBV cases in the country.
Pitso said the GBV should be addressed for what it is calling for a more accurate index that shows the GBV statistics per district even on the seasons that they are high. This he said will help them come up with more targeted approaches to combat this anomaly.
“Lot of us deal with advocacy… I think we have to do more. I am from a school where woman who is educated is better off than those in the rural areas who are solely dependent on their husbands. Even if they beat them they don’t have anywhere to run,” he said.
The Minister also called for urgent efforts to economically empower women as a key strategy to combat Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Speaking during a meeting with civil society actors, the Minister emphasised that women’s financial independence could significantly reduce instances of GBV.
He highlighted that Parliament has already passed laws designed to protect women and their properties. However, he noted that these legal provisions should be fully exploited and women should take charge, stressing that survivors’ reluctance to report GBV cases emboldens perpetrators and undermines deterrence.
The Minister posed a critical question: “How do we make it easy for survivors to take their perpetrators to court?” He argued that ending GBV requires collective resolve, declaring, “If we want to stop it, we can stop it now and decide that we don’t want it anymore.”
Pitso also challenged civil society organisations working on GBV issues to consider taking up cases with smaller charges to improve survivors’ access to justice.
He revealed that the Ministry is working on establishing another safe haven for GBV survivors. The facility will provide not only shelter and counselling but also skills training to help survivors become financially independent upon reintegration into their communities.
“We cannot be reactive. We need to be proactive,” stressed Dr Hapazari adding that ‘ignorance has no defence’.