Technology's role in fighting GBV
Limited resources a challenge
More than 30% of married women have experienced gender-based violence, while girls and women aged 15 to 29 have experienced physical and sexual violence from their partners.
While the Namibian criminal justice system is working tirelessly to solve increased gender-based violence (GBV) and other criminal cases, it is faced with the challenge of limited resources, and it is important to look at other ways technology can assist.
This is according to the End Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) campaign, which highlighted that “technology has a role to play in assisting Namibia’s criminal justice system”.
The campaign - started by the Empire Partner Foundation - is aimed at using a technology-based approach to tackling and combatting GBVF.
According to a campaign statement, the United Nations Population Fund reported that 33% of married women have experienced GBV, while adolescent girls aged 15 to 29 have experienced physical and sexual violence from their partners.
“Alarmingly, the Namibian police identified more than 700 rape cases between January and August 2021, which gave a rise in protests, and currently, in 2022, 450 rape cases have been reported, whilst at least 15% of Namibian citizens are afraid to walk alone at night. The sad reality of this is that most cases go unreported.”
It said one of the contributing factors is that the police force has limited resources to address crime and GBV in Namibia.
This means there needs to be a clearer, more coordinated and credible data-driven solution so that more evidence is gathered and perpetrators are prosecuted, the statement said.
Tech is the key
“Technology, therefore, is a key vehicle to help Namibia’s criminal justice system by looking at internet tools that allow a common criminal history record that can be shared across agencies.
“For courts, technology may help ease case backlogs by allowing witnesses to testify remotely to avoid cases being postponed and exposing the victim to injustice.”
Carol Shereni, Empire Partner Foundation project coordinator based in South Africa, added that technology is a powerful tool that can have an impact on addressing GBVF and petty crimes, and allow justice to prevail. Namibia’s criminal justice system can use technology effortlessly to gather data that is necessary for crime statistics, she said.
The right digital strategies - including mobile apps - can help Namibia move forward in building an integrated public safety system, which will provide Namibian citizens with access to justice and protection, the campaign said.
It added that a community-based app can achieve this with an SOS alert that shares live locations and allows incidents to be captured with pictures and videos.
“In an effort to prevent and preserve the well-being of individuals, it is important that Namibia allow the development of technology to create a space in which justice is served.”
This is according to the End Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) campaign, which highlighted that “technology has a role to play in assisting Namibia’s criminal justice system”.
The campaign - started by the Empire Partner Foundation - is aimed at using a technology-based approach to tackling and combatting GBVF.
According to a campaign statement, the United Nations Population Fund reported that 33% of married women have experienced GBV, while adolescent girls aged 15 to 29 have experienced physical and sexual violence from their partners.
“Alarmingly, the Namibian police identified more than 700 rape cases between January and August 2021, which gave a rise in protests, and currently, in 2022, 450 rape cases have been reported, whilst at least 15% of Namibian citizens are afraid to walk alone at night. The sad reality of this is that most cases go unreported.”
It said one of the contributing factors is that the police force has limited resources to address crime and GBV in Namibia.
This means there needs to be a clearer, more coordinated and credible data-driven solution so that more evidence is gathered and perpetrators are prosecuted, the statement said.
Tech is the key
“Technology, therefore, is a key vehicle to help Namibia’s criminal justice system by looking at internet tools that allow a common criminal history record that can be shared across agencies.
“For courts, technology may help ease case backlogs by allowing witnesses to testify remotely to avoid cases being postponed and exposing the victim to injustice.”
Carol Shereni, Empire Partner Foundation project coordinator based in South Africa, added that technology is a powerful tool that can have an impact on addressing GBVF and petty crimes, and allow justice to prevail. Namibia’s criminal justice system can use technology effortlessly to gather data that is necessary for crime statistics, she said.
The right digital strategies - including mobile apps - can help Namibia move forward in building an integrated public safety system, which will provide Namibian citizens with access to justice and protection, the campaign said.
It added that a community-based app can achieve this with an SOS alert that shares live locations and allows incidents to be captured with pictures and videos.
“In an effort to prevent and preserve the well-being of individuals, it is important that Namibia allow the development of technology to create a space in which justice is served.”
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Namibian Sun
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