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Researchers have estimated that South Africa has lost over R36 billion alone in 2019 due to gender-based violence.
This is according to a research finding on the costly impact of gender-based violence (GBV) in private sector perceptions and realities. The research was led by Professor Corne Davis from the University of Johannesburg in collaboration with Tiekie Barnard, CEO of the Shared Value Africa Initiative.
The purpose of the report is to drive accountability within the private sector and influence GBV-related system change and policy-making to contribute towards enabling equal opportunities and empowering women in the workplace.
According to the report, the R36 billion is based on the country’s estimated 0.7% loss of 2019's gross domestic product due to gender-based violence-induced human capital.
This was heard at an event hosted by the TEARS Foundation on Thursday in Sandton, Johannesburg, to launch the ‘Speak Up’ campaign.
The report also states that GBV does not feature in corporate social responsibility or BBBEE indices, corporate governance specifications or even occupational health and safety regulations, which suggested that GBV was not strategically addressed.
“During the research, most employees and leaders agreed GBV should be positioned within company policies and structures of governance and requires a holistic policy-driven approach using evidence-based interventions involving all relevant sectors.”
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According to the research, the leaders and employees showed strong support for including GBV in corporate strategy and agreed that decisive action and a collaborative, multisectoral approach was required. The employees felt that GBV prevention and intervention programmes should feature prominently in annual integrated environmental, social and governance reporting.
The research findings showed that there was a consensus among senior leaders and employees that GBV was a taboo topic that was still not openly discussed in the private sector owing to the stigma, shame and fear associated with it.
The report stated that there was an acknowledgement among leaders that gender inequality was a driver of GBV.
Mara Glennie, CEO and founder of TEARS Foundation, said violence against women and children was everybody’s business, and private sector companies could do a lot by contributing financially to efforts to prevent the abuse of women and children and by addressing gender inequality in the workplace.
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“If you’re in the private sector, and if you somehow imagine that social issues don’t have anything to do with your business, then you’d better think again. The cost of chronic social problems and dysfunctional behaviour has a direct impact on private-sector productivity and profitability, and there are valuable international and local examples of initiatives spearheaded by the business community, and which recognise the responsibility of the private sector to take up its role as a powerful partner to combat GBV by advancing gender equality,” she said.
