The University of the Western Cape protecting women from intimate partner violence in South Africa: Evaluating whether the state fulfilled its legal obligations during the Covid-19 lockdown

Abstract

The COVID-19 lockdown regulations in South Africa were put in place to protect its citizens from the spread of the virus, however certain restrictions consequently endangered women. Comparing gender-based violence statistics from 2019 and 2020, this thesis considers whether the protection of women from intimate partner violence and intimate partner femicide in South Africa was a priority in the design of control measures against the spread of COVID-19. It makes use of an interpretation of the international law standard of due diligence that places a duty on the state to protect individuals from violations committed by non-state actors to ensure that human rights provisions (specifically women’s rights) are executed in accordance with the principles of equality and non-discrimination.