As we celebrate Women’s Month this August, we honor the strength and resilience of women worldwide. This month, we are reminded of the lyrics of the resistance song that has come to symbolise the courage and strength expressed during the historic Women’s March in 1956 as South African Women refused to give in to increasing oppression in the country.
“Wathint' Abafazi, Wathint' Imbokodo” – (You strike a woman, you strike a rock)
Gender-Based Violence as a Global Pandemic
While this month commemorates the tenacity and fortitude of women, it also places the spotlight on the global pandemic of gender-based violence (GBV) that continues to have an impact on millions of lives. During a National Address on the COVID-19 Lockdown in South Africa the President, Cyril Ramaphosa, pointed out that we are fighting two pandemics, COVID-19 as well as gender-based violence.
The devastating reality is, GBV affects as many as 1 in 3 women in their lifetime. This violence can manifest in physical, sexual, psychological and/or economic forms.
GBV Affects Men Too
GBV is often associated with women, however, a significant number of men also experience violence and abuse. Not all forms of violence and discrimination are based exclusively on gender - inequalities experienced by a person related to their race, disability, age, social class, religion, sexual orientation and/or gender identity can provoke acts of violence.
Our Efforts to Battle Gender-Based Violence at UCT
Over the past decade, global efforts and campaigns have inspired many initiatives in support of removing the stigma often associated with reporting GBV incidents and encouraging the impacted parties to come forward.
Understanding the importance of data and recognising the value in identifying the nature and prevalence of this violent phenomenon, Online Intelligence collaborated with The University of Cape Town (UCT) to develop and design the CiiMS ReportIT platform in 2019.
Leveraging on the requirements and contribution of UCT’s academic, legal and specialist staff, CiiMS ReportIT was initially implemented within their tertiary institution environment. It has since undergone various improvements allowing for the implementation in other sectors. The platform aims to support policymakers in designing and shaping measures to combat GBV and other crimes and transgressions that have a reputation for being under-reported.
Overcoming Under-Reporting of Gender-Based Violence
The factors preventing survivors from reporting incidents of this nature can include (but are not limited to):
· Fear of retaliation or further violence
· Shame and stigma
· Lack of trust in authorities
· Fear of not being believed
· Economic dependence
One of the key considerations in the initial design of CiiMS ReportIT was to allow for reporting of gender-based violence incidents anonymously if victims elect to do so, without having to provide any personal information before they are ready to come forward.
The reporting of incidents is simplified with specific reporting guidelines and prompts embedded in the solution to assist survivors in classifying the incident and providing supporting information in the form of statements and attachments.
Provision is also made to report historic incidents, which may have occurred several years ago.
During the reporting process, known details of the alleged offender/alleged perpetrator can also be provided. This becomes useful for reporting purposes to identify repeat offenders or repeat victimisation, which is a frequent occurrence (especially with GBV-related incidents).
Using CiiMS ReportIT with CiiMS Intel for a Full Investigative Solution
CiiMS ReportIT seamlessly integrates with our centralised Incident and Investigations Management System (CiiMS Intel), allowing for customised work and process flows linked to the acknowledgment and responses to reported incidents. CiiMS provides an end-to-end solution for the investigation process, keeping the survivor informed on the progress of the investigation throughout.
Using an evidence-based approach to combat GBV is crucial and plays an integral part in the solution. This approach and using the embedded reporting and visualisation functionalities within the CiiMS solution has various benefits such as:
Assisting in identifying areas/locations (hotspots) where intervention is most required.
Allowing stakeholders to track and monitor progress regarding responses to incidents to make the necessary improvements to their processes.
Facilitating collaboration between stakeholders promotes a coordinated effort to address the problem and to implement prevention strategies.
Implementing the solution is facilitated by a fully trained team at Online Intelligence. Once the business requirement is determined, the web-based CiiMS solution is installed on the client-server or on a hosting environment we can provide, whereafter configuration of the client-specific processes can commence.
Training is provided on using the solution, as well as administrating and maintaining the application. This ensures that changes to processes and procedures can be facilitated by the clients themselves promoting the independence of a service provider.
Apart from our 24/7 technical support team, we also provide managed services to assist clients who require additional support in administrating the application. Throughout the implementation process guidance is provided to the client, ensuring that best practice models are followed.
For additional details on CiiMS, and the CiiMS ReportIT solution contact our bespoke team of experts.
Contributing to Safer Communities with Risk Management Solutions
Women’s Month reminds us that the fight against GBV is far from over. The statistics are staggering, and the damage done to communities and individuals is beyond devastating.
Yet, in the face of adversity, we find strength in the resilience and courage shown by the survivors who have come forward and will continue to come forward. We find hope in the determination of the activists and the commitment of institutions, organisations and companies, that will remain committed to creating safer communities and futures for generations to come alongside us.
Comments