Gender-based violence and human security in Cape Town : a case study of the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children.

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between human security, gender, and the activities of the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children, an NGO serving women who have experienced gender-based violence. Gender-based violence is studied within the specific context of South Africa, with special attention given to the history, culture and socio-economic conditions. The study uses the concepts of human security and gender to construct a framework for examining gender-based violence. This theoretical approach fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and includes marginalised populations. This is a qualitative case study comprising of in-depth interviews with both clients and staff at the Saartjie Baartman Centre in Cape Town and it provides rich detail of personal experiences of both clients and employees of the centre. The themes of organisational challenges, socio-economic, and cultural issues are discussed and analysed. The intention of the study is to bring attention to the issue of gender violence in South Africa, investigate the occurrence of this violence in Manenberg, and put forth recommendations to further the fight against it. This will be done through an exploration of the activities of the Saartjie Baartman Centre and the implications of these activities. The study concludes that given the existing statistics of gender-based violence continually rising, current efforts are either not working or not having a large enough impact. Therefore, something different needs to be done in order for sustainable change to take place.