Guns are used in 35% of the murders of women

Women who face domestic gun violence are not being sufficiently protected despite legal provisions, according to a report by the Remove the Trigger campaign.

- Mary-Anne Gontsana

In most femicide cases, the perpetrator is the woman's intimate partner. In about 30% of these cases, there is a history of domestic violence. Most domestic violence victims killed by their partners do not hold protection orders at the time of their deaths.

Where women do have protection orders and/or orders for the perpetrators' firearms to be seized, the orders are not sufficiently enforced.

There is insufficient protection for women who face domestic gun violence, according to a report by the Remove the Trigger campaign, launched in Athlone, Cape Town this week.

In most cases where women are murdered, the perpetrators are their intimate partners. In about 30% of these cases, there was a history of domestic violence, according to the report. The true figure is probably higher.

Guns are also responsible for about 35% of women's deaths.

Although there are legal provisions that require firearms to be removed in domestic violence cases, these are not adequately implemented.