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21 July 2020 | Story Nitha Ramnath | Photo istock
Date: 28 July 2020
Time: 14:00 – 15:30

Gender inequalities domestic violence and gender-based violence (GBV) are global concerns, and have been exacerbated by the impact of Covid-19 as women take on more child and care work responsibilities.  Jobs lost in service sectors often affect women most, large numbers of frontline health workers and teachers are women, and lockdowns increase domestic violence. Thus President Cyril Ramaphosa recently said in a televised address that more than 21 women and children have been murdered in South Africa within just a few weeks in what he referred to as “another pandemic raging in our country.” He said this “violence being unleashed on women and children with a brutality that defies comprehension, is no less than a war being waged against the women and children of our country”.

As the World Economic Forum points out, regardless of where one looks, it is women who bear most of the responsibility for holding societies together, be it at home, in health care, at school, or in caring for the elderly. In many countries, women perform these tasks without pay. 

Now, the Covid-19 pandemic is compounding existing gender inequalities, and increasing risks of gender-based violence. Gender inequality, layered along with the effects of the pandemic, lockdowns and the economic downturn, could leave a deep and lasting impact on the lives and opportunities of women and girls.

Given, then, that the COVID-19 crisis affects women and girls in different ways from men and boys, measures to resolve it must take gender into account, and the protection and promotion of the rights of women and girls prioritized. 
To take up these issues of gender inequalities and gender-based violence, two renowned gender research experts will take part in our webinar. The webinar will be chaired by Professor Melanie Walker of the University of the Free State.  The presenters are: Professor Pumla Gqola, Professor of Women and Gender Studies at Nelson Mandela University and author of Rape: A South African Nightmare. Lisa Vetten has worked in the field of violence against women for over two decades as a counsellor, para-legal, trainer and researcher. She is currently an honorary research associate at the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WiSER).

Join us from 14:00 to 15:30 on 28 July. 

RSVP to Sibongile Mlotya at MlotyaS@ufs.ac.za no later than 26 July, upon which you will receive a Business for Skype meeting invite.

News Archive

Research conducted on economic impact of recent international soccer and rugby matches for Bloemfontein
2004-09-09

The Centre for Development Support at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently conducted a survey on the economic impact of the international soccer and rugby games that were played in Bloemfontein earlier this year.

The research focused on the soccer match between Bafana Bafana and the Cape Verdic Isle and the rugby match between the Springboks and Ireland .

“The survey was done as a result of a research agenda about local economic development in Bloemfontein ,” said Dr Lochner Marais, researcher at the centre.

“We conducted the research by doing 402 interviews with soccer supporters and 376 interviews with rugby supporters from outside Bloemfontein ,” said Dr Marais.

The centre distributed questionnaires, collecting the following information on the soccer and rugby supporters: their age, gender and origin, the number of nights spend in Bloemfontein , their household expenditure in Bloemfontein and their rating on the quality of service.

“It is estimated that 10 800 soccer supporters and 27 000 rugby supporters came from outside Bloemfontein . Of the rugby supporters 14,4% were female and 85,6% were men. For the soccer international the percentage was 33% females and 67% males,” said Dr Marais.

The highest number of people who came to watch the soccer game in Bloemfontein (35,8%) was from the Northern Free State . The rugby supporters mainly came from Gauteng (21,8%) and the Northern Free State (18%).

When visiting Bloemfontein soccer supporters spend R912 per household, whilst rugby supporters reached deeper in their pockets and spent R1 807 per household.

“The survey indicated that the two international matches resulted in approximately R58 million been spent in Bloemfontein . Rugby supporters were accountable for the largest part (R48 787 205) spent. The largest chunk of the money spent was on accommodation (R14 593 279). On average soccer and rugby supporters from outside Bloemfontein spent 1,4 and 1,9 nights in Bloemfontein ,” said Dr Marais.

Rugby and soccer supporters were also asked to rate the quality of service received from amongst others hotels, guest houses, restaurants, and transport and entertainment facilities. Soccer supporters rated their satisfaction with services higher as rugby supporters. The rugby supporters gave the services at hotels a 3,9 rating, whilst soccer supporters awarded 4,6 rating out of a possible five.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
9 September 2004
 

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