In the Case of Africa’s Domestic Abuse Epidemic, Simply Implementing More Laws May Not Be the Answer [Guest Post]
By Claudia Kania, Oxford Human Rights Hub
Domestic violence remains a growing epidemic plaguing not only the rural communities of West Africa, but also the urbanized, more progressive cities in the southern part of the continent. Far from being a distant and obvious danger, sexual assault and physical abuse are now the greatest threats facing African women today, according to the International Rescue Committee. The statement released by the IRC illustrates domestic violence as the "most urgent, pervasive and significant protection issue” for the women of post-conflict Africa.
Of course, more official legislation and political initiatives might seem as the most obvious response to a rise in violence against women. However, legal directives do little in the region to stem the rampant humanitarian crisis. After Sierra Leone’s passage of the 2007 Domestic Violence Act, only one person had been arrested in 2010. Amnesty International’s recent report on the region documented the lack of police cooperation in the enforcement of the Sexual Offences Act of 2012. Following the illegalization of rape in Liberia, the country established a special court to try cases of sexual violence. Since 2009, only 18 cases have been tried in the court, resulting in 10 total convictions. Years of conflict in the region weakened judicial infrastructure and limited its reach to the more isolated areas in the region.
Certainly, African legislators should continue to make political strides in criminalizing any type of gender violence. Progressive policies and judicial dynamism are essential components in decreasing the threat of domestic abuse. Be that as it may, activists must be able to anticipate the availability of new paths that lead to such a goal. In the face of political and legal shortcomings, technological ingenuity stands at the forefront of progressive change.
Activism motivated tech startups possess qualities which make them dynamic tools for humanitarians and victims of gender violence. Their accessibility is an attribute that is diluted in the case of formal legislation. While the enforcement of laws varies from urbanized to rural areas, the responsive nature of ICTs decreases the gap between the regions. Additionally, they are catalysts for social change. Although political initiatives may be considered as the guiding backbone of society’s moral principles, these effects are extremely gradual. The following serves as an informative list meant to describe the recent strides made by entrepreneurs to promote an effective end to domestic violence in African nations.
1. Vimba
The app, developed by South Africa’s Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism, provides free services for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. Founded as a measure to stem the increase of child sexual abuse in the region of Diepsloot, the application allows users to access various information, such as HIV prevention tactics, legal assistance, and any accessible shelters within the surrounding villages, by texting *134*403#. The user then provides a numerical location designator, as well as the reason for accessing the service. In developing regions, financial dependency is a major obstacle that prevents victims of abuse from accessing the services of various helplines. Utilizing unstructured supplementary service data, the app circumvents this problem by not requiring users to pay for internet data. Instead, the program reverse-charges phone calls made to authorities. The data collected allows other nonprofits, including Lawyers Against Abuse, to formulate and implement time sensitive harm reduction measures.
2. Bonga
Bonga, an app created through a collaboration between Egerton University’s Computer Science and Women’s and Gender Studies departments in Kenya, utilizes encryption and GPS to act as a responsive intermediary between users and trusted allies. Available in offline mode, the application gathers the location of the user and sends it along with an SOS message to a chosen circle of friends. In Kenya, where 38 percent of women have experienced gender violence, technology plays an essential role in the safety of individuals. Along with preventative features, Bonga connects users with 24 hour emergency hotlines and sends them extensive information regarding reproductive health.
3. MyPlan
The mobile app, released by the One Love Foundation, serves as a virtual decision aid for victims of domestic violence. Through asking the user a series of relationship based questions, MyPlan gathers information to formulate a customized plan based on individual circumstances. By carefully taking into account the varying environments of gender based violence victims, the app helps users decide whether current relationships are unsafe and how to safely remove themselves from differing abusive environments. Although originally developed through the John Hopkins School of Nursing, MyPlan has recently partnered with The International Committee for the Development of Peoples to incorporate the app’s features in Somalia’s psychosocial treatment facilities.