Preliminary notes - preface

• Published date: 14 September 2020
• Date: 14 September 2020

vii

Preface

At the time of our nalising this collection of art icles, the world

is in the midst of grappling with the globa l coronavirus pandemic.

Life as we know it has been fundamentally disrupted. Three

months into a countr y-wide lockdown in South Africa, many of

the pre-existing societal plagues have reasserted their control in

communities. Particularly relevant to this collection, domestic

violence and sexual violence have continued to be perpetrated

against women and girls. For the women who face the constant

threat of violence at the hands of the men closest to them, being

locked up in their homes has not been a blessing that allows them

to escape from an easily transmitted virus. The lockdown did

not create the conditions for this violence, but it has heightened

the vulnerability of women because of their reduced access to

protective services.

President Cyri l Ramaphosa, in his add ress to the country on

17 June 2020, spoke about gender-based violence and violence

against women and children specically.1 Whatever one’s views

are on politics and politicians, the inclusion of violence against

women in a speech about Covid-19 reects an understanding

of the dierent issues that need attention during the pandemic.

The president’s address emphasised the impor tance of the subject

in the national space; acknowledged the impact of lockdown

regulations on vulnerable groups of people; and highlighted

the intersectionality of issues that are causal and consequential

for women and the violence perpetrated against them by men,

including violence that is a result of economic, social and cultural

factors. The timing of the speech alongside the global health

pandemic was important. However, any substantive change to the

systemic problem of violence against women is yet to be realized.

The inter-relationship between law, policy, and what actually

happens in pract ice is obviously a primar y and important theme

that runs throughout this collection.

The pandemic of violence against women is not widespread

and pervasive only in South Af rica. As is apparent in many parts

1 S ee https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/live-president- cyri l-ramaphos a-

addresse s-the-nat ion-on-sa s-covid-19-lockdown- 49500728.

2020 Acta Juridica Preface

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