Interfaith Approaches to Violence against Women and Development: The Case of the South African Faith and Family Institute

Abstract

Violence against women is a social reality in South Africa. Such violence is as a result of gender inequalities among men and women in society. Women’s organizations in South Africa estimate that one in every three women is a victim of rape, while one in every six women is in an abusive domestic relationship. Violence against women (VAW) is a key issue in development and social policy (Sweetman, Violence against women. Oxford: Oxfam, 1998). Scholars highlight that women who are abused or have been exposed to experiences of violence cannot fully participate in community development (Babu and Kusuma, Violence against women and girls in the Sustainable Development Goals. Health Promotion Perspectives 7(1): 1–3.e, 2017). In addition, VAW increases health and legal demands and it is a waste of resources that could be used for other development projects. Using a conservative estimate, in a 2014 research Khumalo and others found out that gender-based violence costs South Africa between R28.4 billion to R42.4 billion per year (KPMG 2014). Such an economic strain has a negative impact on development. These and other arguments present the negative impact that violence has on development. Thus, addressing inequalities and particularly eliminating violence against women becomes a priority in the development agenda and achieving sustainable development goal ten which targets to reduce any form of inequality and sustainable development goal five in particular, which targets to achieve gender equality and empower all girls and women.