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17 hours ago
- IOL News
Youth Day: Advocacy groups demand stronger government action to combat GBV in South Africa
NGOs share their insights on the mental impact that GBV has on the country's younger population Image: Pixabay IN SPITE of all the campaigning, advocacy and awareness programmes the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide continues to hover ominously over South Africa as the country celebrates Youth Month. At a time when young people should be celebrated and given every encouragement to pursue excellence, instead, the overshadowing reality of reported ever increasing incidents of murder, rape, and kidnapping escalate douses optimism. While the government continue to ring the alarm bells about the the dire state of GBV in the country, damning is the prevailing view from advocacy groups that the government's actions in response thus far have proven insufficient. The statistics are stark: between January and March 2025, 966 women and 314 children fell victim to murder. "These are not mere statistics; they represent lives lost amid a system that too often fails to protect the most vulnerable," warns Siyabulela Monakali, communications manager for Ilitha Labantu, a non-profit organisation founded in 1989. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Monakali elaborates that the pervasive underfunding of support programmes, lack of enforcement of existing laws, and an overloaded legal system contribute to a culture of failure that retraumatises survivors. He criticises the government's approach to combatting GBVF as reactive, often characterised by bursts of activity that fizzle out without meaningful change. "Many of the government's interventions are mere band-aids," he continues, asserting that they sidestep deeper issues such as misogyny and toxic masculinity. "Until there is meaningful, coordinated, and well-resourced action that tackles these root causes, the crisis will continue unabated." The youth of 2025 are facing several challenges, including GBV Image: File The advocacy group Women For Change underscores this sentiment, asserting that the government has significantly underprioritised the fight against GBVF. They have initiated a petition to have GBVF declared a national disaster. "The government's bureaucracy and their lack of accountability, transparency, and responsiveness are key reasons why more women will be killed in this country," the group states. South Africa's Constitution, rich with protections against GBVF, establishes a framework that includes the right to equality, human dignity, and personal security. Yet, despite these legal advancements, the persistently low conviction rates reveal a justice system struggling to uphold these rights. "To protect the dignity and freedom of women and children, government departments can no longer fail to prioritise GBVF policies and programmes," cautions Women For Change. Activist Mukhethwa Dzhugudzha echoes these findings, urging a shift in focus from punitive measures to preventative strategies. "We need to move beyond reacting to violence and start implementing measures that protect women and children before they fall victim," he states, clearly identifying the need to address underlying issues like economic dependency and victim-blaming mindsets. The alarming rise in violent incidents against women serves as a stark reflection of South Africa's social challenges. "This is an indictment on all of us that our society is exposed to GBVF, sexual violence, murder, and assault in such alarming numbers," notes Bafana Khumalo of Sonke Gender Justice. He calls for intensified efforts to implement the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, a global call to action that South Africa must heed to forge a path away from this crisis. Advocacy groups across the country roundly maintain their zero tolerance stance on violence against women and girls. They call on leaders to acknowledge the enormity of the challenge before them and to commit to substantive actions that can bring meaningful change. DAILY NEWS
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
Advocacy groups demand more from government to fight GBV scourge in SA
Advocacy groups believe stronger action needs to be taken to end GBV. Image: File As South Africa commemorates Youth Month, the terror of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) looms large over the country as countless women and children fall victim to unthinkable crimes on a daily basis. The government has made noise around this scourge; yet, the number of murders, rape and kidnapping cases continues to rise. Women's rights advocacy groups and activists have continued to call for the government to step up and protect all of its citizens. Siyabulela Monakali, the communications manager for Ilitha Labantu, a non-profit organisation founded in 1989 in Gugulethu, in the Western Cape said that the government has failed in addressing GBVF. "Despite declaring GBVF a national crisis and rolling out progressive legal frameworks, the harsh reality tells a very different story. Between January and March 2025 alone, 966 women and 314 children were murdered. These are not mere statistics; they represent lives lost amid a system that too often fails to protect the most vulnerable," said Monakali. Chronic underfunding of programmes, inadequate enforcement of existing laws, a lack of political will, and an overburdened legal system have retraumatised survivors and made justice elusive according to Monakali. A peaceful protest held Vhembe District, Limpopo Province to bring attention to GBV matters Image: SAPS Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ "The government's response remains reactive rather than proactive, marked by bursts of noise, marches, and declarations that quickly fade into short-term memory, only for new tragedies to emerge," he added. "Many of the government's interventions are mere band-aids, failing to confront the deeper, systemic issues of misogyny, toxic masculinity, and entrenched gender inequality that fuel GBVF. Until there is meaningful, coordinated, and well-resourced action that tackles these root causes, the crisis will continue unabated." Monakali went on to say that the legal system also fails women and children despite the presence of regulatory frameworks to fight GBVF. So, the country finds itself in a paradoxical scenario where the high prevalence rate of GBVF remains with a consistently low conviction rate. For Women For Change, the government's failure of addressing GBVF is due to not prioritising the issue. The organisation created a petition for the government to declare GBVF a national disaster. "Government's bureaucracy and their lack of accountability, transparency, and responsiveness to the scourge of GBVF is one of the key reasons why more women will be killed in this country," said the advocacy group. "We urge the State that the Constitution places an obligation on them to respect, protect, promote, and fulfil the rights in the Bill of Rights and we expect the State to act decisively and with intent to eradicate GBVF." Woman For Change highlighted that South Africa's Constitution provides many protections against GBVF. These include the right to equality (section 9), which encompasses equality before the law and equal protection and benefit under the law for everyone, as well as the prohibition of unjust discrimination by the State and people on a variety of grounds, including gender. Section 10 of the Constitution provides the right to human dignity, whilst Section 11 ensures the right to life. Importantly, Section 12 of the Constitution provides the right to personal liberty and security, which includes the right of everyone to be free from all types of physical violence. "Despite progressive developments, incidences of GBVF in South Africa remain extremely high due to the failures in the criminal justice system. To protect the dignity and freedom of women and children, government departments can no longer fail to prioritise GBVF policies and programmes to eradicate GBVF." Activist Mukhethwa Dzhugudzha expressed similar belief to the groups, claiming that the government only steps in after a woman has been raped or murdered. "We need to shift to preventative measures," he added. "Young women and children are still unsafe because the government focuses on punishment rather than protection. Until we address root causes of GBVF such as economic dependency, policing and victim blaming, we will continue to fail the people we claim to protect." "The rise in the country's violent cases against women is an indictment on all of us that our society is exposed to GBVF, sexual violence, murder and assault in such alarming numbers. "We need to redouble our efforts in ensuring the effective implementation of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF which provides a useful pathway out of this crisis," added Bafana Khumalo of Sonke Gender Justice. The advocacy group said it maintains zero tolerance on all forms of violence against women and girls and joins the globe to raise awareness on the scourge of violence and calls for substantive actions by leaders to end these crimes.
