One of the biggest barriers in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in the country is the subject of bystanders.
UN women representative Daniel Winfrey says people who witness or are related in any way to a person experiencing GBV just stand by and do nothing about it.
GBV is everyone’s business – the bystander who witnesses it or who knows but does not take action – is as guilty as the perpetrator.
Winfrey says the bystander has the right to take action and report this matter to the relevant authority, even against the will of the survivor.
Those who stand by and do nothing while someone suffers should realise that their actions may well be the cause of the continuous abuse, she says.
(Picture: Devpolicyblog)