Experts discuss the fight against gender-based violence in South Africa

IOL News

20-05-2025

South Africa has very high rates of GBV, with Statistics South Africa, in its report, indicating that one in three women aged 16 and older has experienced physical violence, while one in five has faced sexual abuse.
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South Africans' conservative and deeply patriarchal attitudes to gender, lack of funding, failing justice system, bureaucracy and corruption, weak law enforcement, and neglect of prevention interventions are some of the major factors putting the country on the backfoot in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), according to experts.
South Africa has very high rates of GBV. Statistics South Africa, in its report, indicated that one in three women aged 16 and older has experienced physical violence, while one in five has faced sexual abuse. The Human Sciences Research Council report revealed that 33.1% of women aged 18 and older have endured physical violence in their lifetime.
Fatima Shaik, the executive director of a non-governmental organisation, People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA), said ending GBV requires more than laws; it demands effective enforcement, survivor-centred services, accountability, and genuine political commitment for systemic change.
Shaik raised a concern that most interventions are reactive, like shelters and legal aid, with little investment in long-term prevention, such as education, gender norms transformation, and male engagement.
'Engaging men and boys is not only necessary, it is critical to the long-term eradication of GBV and the advancement of gender equality in South Africa. GBV is rooted in deeply entrenched patriarchal norms and power imbalances, and unless these are confronted and dismantled within male socialisation, true progress remains elusive. At POWA, we have seen that the most effective strategies go beyond awareness raising; they focus on transforming mindsets, reshaping social norms, and empowering men to actively challenge violence, inequality, and harmful masculinities in their own lives and communities,' she said.
She also highlighted stigma and silence, where cultural norms and patriarchal pressures discourage victims from speaking out, often blaming them or urging reconciliation with abusers, which suppresses help-seeking.
Shaik said reaching and assisting victims of GBV in underserved and rural communities across South Africa presents a complex set of challenges, deeply rooted in the country's socio-economic disparities, institutional weaknesses, and historical inequities.
Among the key challenges, she mentioned poor infrastructure and isolation, language and cultural barriers, digital exclusion, distrust in institutions, poverty and economic dependency, corruption, and mismanagement of funds meant for victims.
'Sustainable solutions must prioritise rural infrastructure, culturally competent services, interdepartmental coordination, and grassroots partnerships to make GBV support accessible and effective nationwide,' Shaik said.
Despite notable efforts including the development of the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NSP on GBVF), there remain persistent, deeply rooted challenges in the implementation and impact of GBV prevention and response strategies, she said.
The core limitations, she said, are fragmented efforts where there is a lack of coordination among government departments, NGOs, and service providers that leads to duplication in some areas and severe gaps in others, disrupting survivor care. Underfunded services, weak law enforcement, bureaucracy, and corruption were also flagged.
'The crisis lies not in a lack of policy, but in poor execution, inadequate funding, and failure to prioritise survivors. South Africa must adopt bolder, community-centred, and survivor-led approaches to transform the GBV prevention and response landscape. While policy frameworks exist, innovation and effective localisation remain key to real change,' Shaik said.
Professor Corné Davis-Buitendag, a research expert on gender-based violence at the University of Johannesburg, said South Africa is one of the most unequal societies in the world.
She added that despite multiple interventions over the past few decades, the ideology of patriarchy still exists, which, coupled with the unemployment rate, reported at 32.9%, presents significant socio-economic challenges, such as a lack of resources to address GBV.
'In reference to inequality, the known facts are that a) women and children are the victims in most cases of GBV, and b) women remain in abusive relationships mostly because of their financial dependence on perpetrators. Another behavioural factor is that children who witness or experience GBV during childhood are more likely to become victims or perpetrators in adulthood.
'The most prevalent form of GBV is intimate partner violence, which means that it happens in the home, where perpetrators are known to the victims in most cases. Family or community members who witness or are aware of the abuse do not report it to authorities for various reasons, including fear, shame, and a sense of helplessness,' Davis-Buitendag said.
She added that it is a general misconception that GBV occurs predominantly in poor communities.
'This is not the case. The reality is that the lower income group in South Africa is so much bigger than the affluent group, and hence the higher prevalence of GBV in poorer communities,' she said.
Besides entitlement and misogyny, perpetrators of violence against children, including child rape, have little or no conscience about their behaviour. The rapid growth in online child pornography and child sex trafficking further propels ignorance and even support for the perpetration of violence against children. Many studies have shown how alcohol and substance abuse play a big role in GBV perpetration in South Africa, Davis-Buitendag said.
She warned that even though there are currently many interventions on record and multiple government and non-government organisations at work, there is little evidence to suggest that the statistics are changing. In fact, they seem to be increasing.
'The biggest problem has always been a lack of funding. As the Commission for Gender Equality reported, little progress has been made since the establishment of the National Strategic Plan and the Gender-based Violence and Femicide fund. Many reports and strategies have been suggested and published, but funding remains an issue.
'The National Shelter Movement of South Africa is running on a shoestring budget, so places of safety for GBV victims are scarce. The strength of the current effort lies in community awareness, including more involvement of the private sector. The greatest limitation is the stigma and shame that still envelops GBV and the lack of funding to implement programs that show results. This can only be improved if GBV is spoken about more, so that victims can seek help without fear of the consequences,' Davis-Buitendag said.
Christi Kruger, acting director at the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender at the University of Pretoria, said there is a need for a holistic approach that works with all people from a young age.
'Traditionally, South Africans tend to be silent about GBV and shy away, especially when it might be seen to be linked to sex and sexualities. Urgent conversations are needed to speak to everyday understandings of masculinities and femininities, and how everyone contributes to a society that enables violence in its various forms.
'Studies indicate that men who abuse alcohol are significantly more likely to perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV). One study by the South African Medical Research Council (MRC) shows that alcohol use by men is associated with increased frequency and severity of physical and sexual violence against women. Some studies show that alcohol was involved in approximately 65% of cases of intimate partner femicide in South Africa,' Kruger said.
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