SACU would like to continue it’s support of victims of domestic violence and gender based violence. October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month and we would like to show solidarity by encouraging people to wear the color purple on Thursday, October 22nd, 2020. #PurpleThursday.
In April of this year, we held a panel addressing the increase in incidents of Domestic Violence and gender based violence since the start of the pandemic. The terms are usually used interchangeably but are closely related. Domestic Violence is an umbrella term that includes both Intimate Partner Violence (abuse of spouse or partner) and Family Violence (abuse of children, parents etc…). Gender based violence used to capture any type of violence that is rooted in exploiting unequal power relationships between genders.
Typically, when people talk about domestic violence, they are referring to violence against a woman domestic partner. However, in the United States 1 in1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe domestic violence – this may include intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner contact sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking.
Globally, the United Nations reports that up to 70% of women experience some form of gender-based violence in their lifetime. Domestic Violence and gender based violence impact southern African communities in the USA as well and we would like to continue to shed some light on this issue this month by encouraging people to continue the conversation about domestic violence. We would also like to encourage our communities to seek out assistance regardless of your legal status.
You can find resources on our page covering SACU’s panel on domestic violence and by contacting the National Domestic Violence Hotline.