Combating GBV: why families and faith must lead the way

THE carnage of gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa demands urgent national introspection. With more than 42 000 reported rapes annually, and thousands of women and children murdered every year, the crisis has transcended crime — it is now a public health and moral emergency.

- PHOOMONEY NAIDOO

In the year ending March 2024, the police recorded 5 578 women and 1 656 children killed in the country - femicide rates that continue to stagger our collective conscience (The Guardian, 2025).

Meanwhile, rape remains rife: at 115 or more per day, and almost always in private spaces (Human Rights Watch, HRW, 2024). These numbers reveal a country wounded deeply — not by foreign invasion or war, but by violence born of misogyny and power imbalances.

The scope of the crisis

“The rape capital of the world:” This label - used by the HRW and others — does not exaggerate South Africa’s global ranking in sexual violence (Ballard Brief, 2019). In 2022/23 alone, 53 498 sexual offences were reported to the South African Police Service (Parliamentary Commission for Gender Equality, 2024).

In statistics released by Statistics South Africa, rape accounted for 38.3% of all crimes against minors, making it the most prevalent category in child victimisation (Stats SA, 2023).

Yet reporting is only the tip of the iceberg. An estimated 40% to 50% of women reported intimate partner violence (Ballard Brief, 2019), and surveys in Gauteng revealed that 51% of women have experienced GBV in their lifetime, while 76% of men admitted to perpetrating it at least once (Africa Health Organisation, 2010). The true scale of GBV is deeply obscured by stigma, fear, and institutional mistrust.

Structural failures and cultural roots

The persistence of GBV is rooted in both history and systemic dysfunction. The legacy of apartheid-era violence, entrenched poverty, and deeply patriarchal cultural norms create fertile ground for abuse (The Guardian, 2025; Ballard Brief, 2019). Many survivors report reluctance to engage law enforcement — owing to fears of retaliation, disbelief or police apathy (HRW, 2022). The so-called “cautionary rule” in courts further suppresses survivors’ voices, reinforcing impunity.