‘Public Protector has legitimised the experiences of women’ – GBV expert

John Perlman speaks with Mara Glennie, founder and director of Tears Foundation and Lebo Ramafoko, GBV Expert and Executive Director of Oxfam.

Listen to the interview in the audio below.

When a person is a victim of gender-based violence, and speaks up some time later, there always comes the question of ‘why didn’t you report it?’

However, in our country this is not so simple as victims face significant challenges in the criminal justice system after already facing the trauma of violence.

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The office of the Public Protector investigated these issues after reports of administrative challenges that particularly affect women and children.

For years women have complained about the way they are re-traumatised by the system, and Ramafoko says this report has finally recognised this.

“The Public Protector has legitimised the experiences of women.” 

- Lebo Ramafoko, GBV Expert and Executive Director of Oxfam

She says there are many people working within these systems that hold patriarchal views about abuse, and that makes it extremely difficult to seek justice.

Glennie says that something like applying for a protection order is a difficult and subjective process.

Even in cases where those working in the system are trying to do good work, they are so overburdened and overwhelmed that they cannot serve the public well.

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.