Gender-based violence costs the economy R28.4b

Mbasa Gqokoma
15 April 2015

The Saartjie Baartman Centre says there has been a drastic increase in the number of women with substance dependency issues.

Over the past few years the centre has seen an increase of sixty-five percent in the number of women and children seeking assistance in terms of violence, drug and alcohol abuse.

A research done by the centre shows that gender-based violence costs the economy 28.4 billion rands a year.

Director of the Centre Shaheema McLeod says currently about 80% of the women that are coming to the centre with gender base violence problems have tested positive for drugs.

It is almost expected that when a client runs at the Saartjie Baartman centre that we will have to test her and provide a different treatment that will encompass that substance abuse, McLeod added.