Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacts all aspects of life. While the focus is biased towards the direct health and economic impacts associated with the pandemic, there is increasing concern and recognition that the current crisis has had differential impacts and that those who are vulnerable, are more likely to bear the brunt of the unintended consequences of the lockdown and other measures to curb the spread of the virus. The COVID-19 pandemic has been foregrounded as a ‘perfect storm’ that creates the ideal conditions for current and increasing rates of gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa. There is, however, limited focus on GBV impacts in rural areas and on home-based learning which is likely to be the norm in the near future. Drawing on secondary data sources, this study illustrates the extent and nature of GBV prevalent in South Africa, and identifies vulnerability factors in rural areas that create high-risk levels for GBV. Thereafter, the paper examines the impacts of GBV on learners’ and students’ abilities to study from home during the lockdown and if continued efforts to manage the spread of the virus requires stay-at-home requirements. The factors that influence vulnerability (including household size, alcohol and drug use, access to support systems, culturally-based patriarchal notions of gender roles in relation to domestic chores, gendered ownership and access to crucial learning resources, etc.) are identified, and impacts the ability of females to study from home examined. Recommendations are forwarded that include the need for increased GBV support, rethinking modes of teaching and learning, access to adequate services and infrastructure, and radical change to address the structural and systemic factors that create the conditions for GBV.
