Perhaps some of you have seen me on SABC Morning Live yesterday. I was invited as a media expert to comment on how well (or not) the South African media cover women abuse. It’s a very important topic, for our society as a whole, and particularly for journalists who, like me, report on social issues.

On the upside, coverage has generally improved over the past few years – there has been more reporting on abuse and it has been done in a more sensitive and ethical manner. But there is still lots that can be done better. Two main points:

a)      There’s still far too much gender stereotyping: Stories on women abuse are almost always crime and horror stories in which women are identified as (helpless) victims. Often they are shown crying to add drama. Why not turn an abuse story into a positive life story, for example with focus on how a woman has overcome abuse and come out stronger?

b)     Articles about abuse mainly look at the crime alone and fail to relate it to the broader social context and issues, such as unemployment, poverty, health, education, public transport or housing. The media very rarely link sexual abuse to HIV/Aids, a topic that would urgently need attention in a country with one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world.