Dr. Mark O'Doherty

The Legacy of Jacob Zuma and the African National Congress in South Africa - A One-Party State facilitating Anarchy, Cruelty and Disregard for Human Life Dr. Mark O'Doherty

In the South African Township of Diepsloot, 56% of men surveyed admitted to raping or beating a woman - a lack of policing is just the start of the problem... In a country with high rates of gender-based violence, Diepsloot seems to represent the convergence of all the factors contributing to abuse against women. In 2016 a University of the Witwatersrand study sampling 2,600 local men found that 56% of them admitted to either raping or beating a woman in the previous 12 months. These statistics have made the neighbourhood a microcosm of South Africa's social ills that lend themselves to high rates of gender violence. It has also attracted social science researchers, NGOs, and journalists - including a BBC documentary - trying to find solutions to stop gender violence in South Africa. Hence it is imperative that the South African government puts much more focus on preventing and counteracting gender violence; by promoting gender mainstreaming and gender equality, so that women can be empowered in South Africa!