South Africa has endured a persistent and devastating epidemic of gender-based violence and femicide over several decades, profoundly impacting women, children, and the gender-diverse community. The country has frequently been characterised as the “rape capital of the world” due to its exceptionally high reported incidence of sexual violence, including rape, which ranks among the highest globally.

Moreover, South Africa exhibits some of the highest rates of gender-based violence worldwide, encompassing rape, femicide, and domestic abuse. Gouws further confirms the severity of these violations, noting that femicides committed by intimate partners occur at rates approximately five times higher than the global average.

The phenomenon of GBVF in South Africa is widely understood as a deeply rooted social pathology originating from the historical legacies of colonialism and the apartheid era. These periods were marked by systemic oppression and the cultivation of harmful masculinities, whereby violence became entrenched as a means of social and political control during the quest for democratic dispensation.

The colonial and apartheid eras established the structural roots of GBVF in South Africa through policies that institutionalised racial and gender hierarchies. Under colonialism, indigenous women suffered dual oppression by virtue of race and gender, frequently subjected to violence as a tool of control. Apartheid entrenched these inequalities further by legally marginalising Black women, stripping them of citizenship and autonomy. During this time, women were largely perceived as dependents minimally protected by the law.

Judicial mechanisms were often hostile to victims, with rape and domestic violence cases frequently disregarded or inadequately prosecuted. Wife-beating was normalised, even legally permitted in certain contexts, while sexual assault laws were narrowly defined, excluding many forms of sexual violence from legal recognition. This legal framework fostered a culture of tolerance and perpetuation of violence against women, upheld by both state and social structures.

Contemporary South African society continues to be fragmented by socio-economic divisions rooted in classism. Vulnerable populations concentrated in townships, informal settlements, and rural areas struggle to access universal rights and services guaranteed under Section 27 of the Constitution. Discrimination remains forbidden under the Bill of Rights yet persists in practice. In alignment with its constitutional mandate, the CGE has conducted ongoing monitoring of governmental and relevant institutional efforts aimed at combating GBV in South Africa. Their findings underscore critical contributory factors to the perpetuation of violence against women and children.

Notably, the CGE’s 2015 report, “Painting Over Old Cracks,” highlights the inadequacy of the government’s response, particularly regarding the allocation of resources necessary to the effective implementation of regulatory frameworks. It further identifies the persistence of patriarchal cultural norms and pervasive poverty as fundamental causes that entrap women in abusive environments detrimental to their wellbeing.

Statistically and substantively, gender-based violence in South Africa has escalated, exhibiting a brutality comparable to extremism, affecting women in both public and private spheres. GBVF impacts the entire social fabric victims, perpetrators, families, communities, and the criminal justice system alike. The consequences are multifaceted, including threats to mental, physical, and reproductive health, loss of life, acceleration of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and compromised social cohesion.

Between 2022 and 2024, CGE commissioners monitored high-incidence police stations and Thuthuzela Care Centres to assess their preparedness to provide quality services to GBV victims. Findings revealed ongoing challenges, including frequent withdrawal of domestic and rape charges when perpetrators were family providers.

The CGE’s monitoring of the implementation of the Victims’ Charter revealed systemic deficiencies within the justice sector, particularly an offender-centred approach that marginalises victims. This was despite government’s establishment of initiatives such as Victim Empowerment Programmes and Victim Support Centres within the South African Police Service to provide psychosocial support, counselling, and medico-legal assistance aimed at empowering victims and preventing re-victimisation.

Despite strategic and institutional progress, GBVF remains pervasive and denting the country’s economic status and social fabric. The economic disparities of gender-based violence create a pathway of discrimination which hinders women’s economic empowerment, due to unpaid care work and gender wage gaps which are significant barriers. According to data from KPMG and the World Health Organization, GBVF incurs an economic cost exceeding one percent of South Africa’s GDP, with the greatest human capital loss concentrated among women aged 15 to 49 years.

An informed understanding of South Africa’s historical and socio-political context is indispensable to devising comprehensive strategies for addressing and preventing GBVF. The interplay of colonialism, apartheid, patriarchy, and entrenched cultural norms necessitates multi-sectoral and culturally sensitive interventions that address the deeply rooted causes and manifestations of gender-based violence in the country.

In conclusion, GBVF continues to be a significant challenge in our country, leading to devastating outcomes particularly affecting women, girls, and queer individuals. This pervasive issue necessitates comprehensive and adequate resources to implement effective preventive measures and support systems. Strengthening our criminal justice institutions is crucial, ensuring they are equipped to respond decisively and empathetically to incidents of violence. Furthermore, ongoing monitoring of GBVF cases allows for better data collection and analysis, which is vital for informed policy-making. Enhanced accountability mechanisms must be established to hold perpetrators responsible and to ensure that justice is served, ultimately creating a safer and more equitable society. 

* Lieketseng Mohlakoana-Motopi is a Researcher at the Commission for Gender Equality.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media. 

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