how to prevent gender based violence in south africa essay

Gender-based Violence in South Africa Essay Example

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a deeply concerning issue that continues to affect societies across the globe, and South Africa is no exception. As a Grade 9 learner, tackling an essay on such a profound topic can feel daunting, but it’s a valuable opportunity to explore and engage with important social issues that shape the world around us.

To begin your exploration of this topic, it’s vital to understand what GBV entails – these are actions that cause physical, mental, or sexual harm based on one’s gender. In South Africa, such acts unfortunately happen frequently and can range from intimate partner violence to harmful cultural practices.

Approaching an essay on GBV in South Africa, it’s beneficial to structure your writing into a few key sections. Start with an introduction that defines GBV and gives an overview of its prevalence in South Africa. This will set the stage for a deeper analysis in the following sections.

The main body of your essay should delve into the specifics of GBV in South Africa. Discuss its nature, prevalence, consequences, and possible solutions. Use reliable sources to support your points and don’t shy away from presenting both the harsh realities and the hopeful initiatives aimed at addressing this issue.

Finally, conclude your essay by summarizing your main points and reflecting on the importance of addressing GBV for the future of South Africa.

Remember, an essay isn’t just about presenting facts – it’s about demonstrating your understanding and perspectives on a topic. So, express your thoughts, share your ideas, and let your voice be heard. Good luck with your essay-writing journey!

Title: An Insight into Gender-Based Violence in South Africa

Introduction

Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a pervasive issue in South Africa, deeply rooted in societal norms and perpetuated through silence, stigma, and systemic failures. It’s a grave violation of human rights that impedes social progress and threatens the fabric of the society. This essay will delve into the nature, prevalence, and consequences of GBV in South Africa, as well as consider potential solutions.

Understanding the Nature of Gender-Based Violence

GBV encompasses acts that inflict physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering based on gender differences. In South Africa, this violence is alarmingly widespread and often brutal, affecting individuals across all social strata. These acts range from intimate partner violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, to harmful cultural practices. Gender-based power imbalances, patriarchal societal norms, and economic inequalities are fundamental contributors to GBV.

Prevalence of GBV in South Africa

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), GBV cases have reached alarmingly high levels, with thousands of murders and sexual offenses reported annually. The actual prevalence is likely much higher, considering many victims don’t report due to fear of reprisal, stigma, or lack of faith in the justice system. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns have further exacerbated the situation, with a marked increase in cases, painting a grim picture of the state of GBV in South Africa.

The Consequences of GBV

The effects of GBV are profound, extending beyond the immediate physical harm. Survivors often grapple with psychological trauma, social stigmatization, and economic instability. GBV also contributes to public health crises, such as the spread of HIV/AIDS. Additionally, it inhibits societal growth and development by keeping a significant proportion of the population – women and girls – in fear, suppressing their potential contribution to social and economic progress.

Potential Solutions to GBV in South Africa

Addressing GBV requires a multi-faceted approach, starting with strengthening legal frameworks and improving their implementation to ensure justice for victims. This could involve enhancing police training, streamlining judicial processes, and strengthening victim support systems. Moreover, it’s essential to tackle the societal norms that perpetuate GBV through education, community dialogues, and public awareness campaigns. Economic empowerment initiatives for women can also help break the cycle of violence by providing financial independence and security.

In summary, gender-based violence is a critical challenge facing South Africa, deeply embedded within societal norms and structures. It demands urgent action from all sectors – government, civil society, and individuals alike – to ensure a safe, equitable society. Through a combination of strong legislative action, social awareness, and economic empowerment, South Africa can start to dismantle the structures that enable GBV, ensuring a safer future for all its inhabitants.

• 12 Reasons why incidents of Gender-based Violence in Communities Continue
• Why South Africans need to help those Affected by Gender-based Violence
• How gender inequality in relationships could contribute to sexual abuse
• How gender inequality in relationships could contribute to teenage pregnancy
• Breaking the Cycle: How Society can Contribute to the Ongoing Displays of Gender Stereotypes in SA Communities
• The Causes of gender-based Violence During Lockdown
• The Negative Impact of Gender Differences in Sports Participation
• Strategies that Girls could Implement to Challenge Gender Stereotypes within the school
• 20 Examples of Traditional Gender Roles
• Why Both Men and Women could become Victims of Gender-based Violence
• What can Victims of Gender-based Violence do to Ensure Safety
• Reasons why Discrimination Against Gender is Illegal in the South African Constitution
• How Can NGOs Take Concrete Steps to Eradicate Gender-Based Violence?
• At what Age do Children Make Gender-Stereotyped Game and Toy Choices?
• Reasons Why Survivors of Gender-based Violence may Feel Hesitant to Report Human Rights Violation
• Strategies that Responsible Citizens may use to Help Victims of Gender-based Violence
• Feminist Legal Theory: is it Wrong to Treat Men and Women Differently on the Basis of Gender
• 10 Causes of Gender-Based Violence in South Africa with Examples
• A Critical Discussion on Gender-Based Violence as a Human Rights Violation in South Africa: Acts and Examples
• The Devastating Effects of Gender-Based Violence in South Africa: Real-Life Examples and the Way Forward

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• South Africa violence prevention model and action plan

This study is a mapping of successful and promising strategies for preventing gender – based violence (GBV) in South Africa that is used to construct a model and action plan for addressing gaps and scaling up prevention initiatives.

• Research and reports

Despite its progressive Constitution and laws against gender violence, South Africa has among the highest rates of such violence in the world. In line with the call by the UN Secretary General, the country has adopted a National Action Plan to End Gender Violence. The Kopanong declaration that emerged from the ground breaking conference to develop this plan highlights the need to shift emphasis to prevention.

This study is a mapping of successful and promising strategies for preventing gender – based violence (GBV) in South Africa that is used to construct a model and action plan for addressing gaps and scaling up prevention initiatives. The study arises from a realisation that while there are three dimensions to the national response to GBV - prevention, response and support - the approach has been far more reactive than proactive.

The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) that leads the Inter Departmental Management Team (IDMT) on gender violence in government commissioned the research. Gender Links (GL), working with the management team and a reference group formulated the research question as:

“What would a primary gender violence prevention model for South Africa consist of; what are the gaps and what examples are there of interventions in the key areas that could be scaled up, with government support, to make such a model effective?”

To inform the study and selection of case studies, the researchers conducted a desk top review of international best practices that demonstrate the effectiveness of a well designed prevention strategy, including the HIV and AIDS campaign in Uganda and the “Say No” to domestic violence campaign in Australia.

GL also studied the South African campaign to popularise the Constitution, regarded in communication for development literature as one of the most successful contemporary campaigns. The desk top research led to the selection of 11 GBV case studies in four provinces that focus on the individual and family; community; and society at large. Several straddle the different levels. Three of these are government and eight NGO initiatives. Table one provides a summary of the case studies.

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What works to prevent gender-based violence in South Africa?

• 11 Dec 2015
• Topics: Domestic violence / Intimate partner violence , Gender-based violence , Sexual violence

What works to prevent gender-based violence in South Africa? – Blog

In South Africa, there are many organisations working effectively towards preventing gender-based violence. (Photo by Dean Hutton)

Every year the 10th of December marks both International Human Rights Day and the end of the international campaign of 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children . Running for just over two weeks, the annual #16DaysCampaign provides an umbrella for civil societies and governments across the world to raise awareness of how violence against women and children (VAWC) can and must be prevented.

  “More than 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical or sexual partner violence or non-partner sexual violence." WHO (2013) Global and regional estimates of violence against women

While the campaign itself is effective for both advocacy and awareness raising purposes, there is a general consensus that in order to address and prevent VAWC it needs a concerted effort that goes way beyond the sixteen days.

Recognizing this need, in South Africa, government and civil society have committed to take forward the awareness and vision of the 16 Days Campaign and expand it to a year-round #365Days of Activism Campaign.

Gender-based violence wide-spread in South Africa

In South Africa, gender-based violence – which encompasses any kind of violence (physical, sexual, emotional and psychological) against women and children – is widely spread and an issue of serious concern. Up to 40% South African women have experienced sexual and/or physical interpersonal violence in their lifetime.

According to a 2012 research study , 77% percent of women in Limpopo, 51% of women in Gauteng, 45% of women in the Western Cape and 36% of women in KwaZulu-Natal have experienced some form of violence in their lifetime, both within and outside intimate relationships. At the same time, 76% of men in Gauteng and 41% of men in KwaZulu-Natal admit to having committed violence against women.

Gender-based violence in South Africa has various drivers, including, for example, rigid notions of masculinity that condone violent behaviour towards women and children, the socio-economic situation of many women that makes them dependent on their male partners or a patriarchal, conservative understanding of gender roles.

What can be done to prevent GBV?

At a recent seminar in November at the MRC's head office in Pretoria, practitioners and researchers presented some of the programmes that are part of the What Works research programme.

Skhokho Supporting Success

The programme consists of different components that engage

• high school learners in classroom sessions and after-school workshops;
• high school teachers and staff through skills building workshops; and
• caregivers (e.g. parents) of young teenagers through weekend workshops.

The programme's aim is to strengthen the various participants' relationship skills through gender transformative interventions, e.g. positive discipline strategies, supportive styles of interaction and non-violent ways of conflict resolution. The programme further aims to improve stress management, mental health as well as value-based decision-making. The classroom sessions are offered as part of Grade 8 life orientation classes, while the other workshops have external facilitators.

Evaluations of the programme show a positive impact on mothers who report being less stressed and teenagers state better cooperation with their parents. Furthermore girls who participated in the programme reported a reduction in instances of intimate partner violence.

Stepping Stones/Creating Futures

The intervention is conducted by peer facilitators who organise training sessions in single-sex groups, targeting 18-24 year old men and women. In these sessions participants develop livelihoods strategies and are involved in discussions, role plays, dramas and games that encourage participants to reflect on social norms around gender and the use of violence. Discussions around the different types of violence affecting the participants personally and their communities at large assist participants to reflect on the impact social norms have on gender-based violence.

Evaluations of the programme show a significant reduction in women's experience of intimate partner violence as well as an improvement in gender attitudes of both male and female participants.

Sonke CHANGE Trial

The Sonke CHANGE Trial is based on Sonke's existing multi-level intervention "One Man Can" which engages men in confronting harmful aspects of masculinity and helps men become partners in addressing violence and HIV – with the ultimate goal of achieving gender equality.

The project aims to address risk factors for violence against women and girls at individual, relationship, community and societal level. It recognises that masculinities may influence men's likelihood of resorting to violence through various pathways such as alcohol use, partner communication or mental health. Thus the project strives to reduce men's adherence to such masculinity norms.

The project will run until March 2018 and will be rigorously evaluated throughout its duration. Findings will be shared via both community and stakeholder meetings as well as through publications.

Find out more

First results from the What Works research can be expected throughout the coming months. For more information, visit:

• What Works website
• ISS South African Crime Quarterly No. 51 (Special edition: primary prevention of violence)
• " Three reasons to smile if you live in South Africa today " – Article by Chandre Gould, Senior research at the Institute for Security Studies
• Sonke Gender Justice

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Related resources, talking taboos: teaching and learning about sex, gender and violence - guide/manual, school‐related gender‐based violence - report/study, gender-based violence and the need for evidence-based primary prevention in south africa - article, too costly to ignore – the economic impact of gender-based violence in sa - report/study, white paper themes.

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Gender-based violence in South Africa: what’s missing and how to fix it

Professor of Political Science, Stellenbosch University

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Valencia Farmer was 14 years old when she was brutally gang raped and murdered . She was stabbed 53 times. That was in 1999 and her killer was only sentenced for the crime 17 years later.

Sihle Sikoji was 19 years old and some men didn’t like the fact that she was a lesbian. So they stabbed her to death with a spear .

Anene Booysen was gang raped and disemboweled in 2013. Less than a month later athlete Oscar Pistorius shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp through a closed toilet door.

In May 2017, Karabo Mokoena became the latest face of South Africa’s gender-based violence epidemic. She was killed and her body burned beyond recognition, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend.

People remember these gruesome cases that end up on newspapers’ front pages. These women’s stories come with a flare up of societal outrage, protest and collective introspection. Then South Africans live in hope for a while, believing that this time something might change. But nothing does in a country marked by unusually high levels of rape and femicide.

There is little fluctuation in these statistics, which are reported annually by the South African Police Services. What this means is that without political will, a change in the sensationalism and narratives around the reporting of gender based violence and men’s greater involvement as allies with women when it comes to gender based violence, nothing will change.

Bad reporting, bad use of words

One of the problems is how violence against women is reported. A 2011 study by Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre found that court proceedings got a lot of media coverage if they met a simple, grisly requirement: they should be brutal and shocking.

Brutality may capture people’s attention, but a lot of discussion around gender based violence in South Africa is devoid of contextual analysis .

This comes with consequences. It normalises violence and narratives are produced in popular reporting that don’t help society identify the right interventions for dealing with violence. People come to think that the solution to gender based violence lies in greater incarceration and retributive justice, rather than interventions with society at large that produces violent men. In the absence of interventions women vent their frustrations and pain in Twitter hashtags like #menaretrash . These stigmatise all men as contributing to gender based violence.

As I perused the newspapers, online reporting and Sunday papers after Karabo Mokoena’s death, I read the word “scourge” several times. This creates the impression that violence is visited upon us like the plagues in the Bible, without us knowing who is doing it or why. It makes the perpetrators of violence invisible. It also suggests that there’s a cure, if we just wait long enough. This type of reporting encourages short term responses but not immediate committed action and interventions.

When Anene Booysen’s killer applied for bail, the then-minister of Women, Youth and People with disabilities Lulu Xingwana shouted “all rapists must rot in jail”. During Oscar Pistorius’ trial the governing party’s Women’s League echoed this sentiment.

It is clear from these remarks that the governing African National Congress (ANC) sees higher incarceration rates as the solution to rape and femicide. Its members’ oft-repeated cry of “rot in jail” also suggests that rehabilitation is not viewed as a priority.

The problem is that this response individualises the challenge of violence. It focuses on individual perpetrators without attempting to understand the very complex social conditions in South Africa that contribute to men’s violent behaviour. These conditions include colonial and apartheid histories of violence, endemic poverty, substance abuse, deeply held patriarchal attitudes about women’s place in society and the emasculation of unemployment when men measure their worth through work, or an absence of it.

These issues all beg for solutions on a collective level. Without that sort of intervention, gender based violence will continue unabated.

Lack of political will

There is also a visible absence of political will to fight these kinds of crimes. After Anene Booysen’s murder, enraged South Africans called for a National Council on Gender Based Violence to be formed. President Jacob Zuma agreed to this and asked his then-Minister of Women, Youth and People with Disabilities to spearhead the initiative .

But after the country’s 2014 election the ministry was closed down. Now women’s issues are represented by a single minister in the Presidency, and there’s no sign of the council that was promised.

Susan Shabangu, who is the minister for Women in the Presidency, has not demonstrated much will to genuinely tackle gender based violence. She recently described Karabo Mokoena as weak , saying this caused her death. Here we see the lack of political will to deal with sexual violence: the minister has not initiated any interventions or projects to deal with the country’s outrageous proportions of gender based violence.

What needs to change

South Africans are frustrated. Some express their feelings of hopelessness around violence on social media, tagging posts with #MenAreTrash. This is an example of women finding solidarity in their victimisation through telling their stories of sexual violence. These stories must be told and heard, because they show how vast the problem is and how women rarely speak out.

But this particular campaign also stigmatises all men as deviant. Many men may react by becoming defensive. Potential allies are alienated. Gender based violence will only diminish if men and women unite to fight against it. Men have an important role to play in this struggle.

Men will have to speak out to other men who are contributing to rape culture. They must start to address other men’s perceptions and stereotypes about women’s sexuality. They must call out men who believe women can be beaten to “discipline” them, or who refer to women as “sluts” when they do not like their behaviour.

Without intervention, the problem of sexual violence will not stop. Karabo Mokoena’s name will be joined by hundreds more on a never-ending list of loss and brutality.

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Gender-based violence – An increasing epidemic in South Africa

Indiran govender.

1 Department of Family Medicine and Primary Health Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa

February is commonly referred to as the month of love but for many women, February will continue to be a dreadful and distressing period with one woman being raped every 3 h in South Africa (SA). South Africa is considered to be the rape capital of the world with 10 818 rape cases reported in the first quarter of 2022. 1 The rate at which women are killed by intimate partners in this country is five times higher than the global average. 2 Gender-based violence (GBV), a widespread and common occurrence in SA, is deeply ingrained in homes, workplaces, cultures and traditions. This pandemic, because of unequal power between genders, has far-reaching effects that go on beyond the violence itself. Gender-based violence manifests in various forms that include physical, emotional, psychological, financial or structural harm usually perpetrated by intimate partners, work colleagues, strangers and even institutions. 3 However, documenting, reporting, intervening and preventing GBV is currently a major health challenge. 2 Gender-based violence is recognised by the World Health Organization as a major public health problem. Not only is it a direct cause of injury, morbidity and death, but women’s health is affected indirectly through unwanted pregnancies and accompanying health risks, as well as mental illness, sexually transmitted diseases, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). 2 , 4

In many areas of South Africa, there is limited access to formal psychosocial or medical support for survivors of GBV contributing to psychological trauma and behavioural consequences with an inability to reintegrate into society. 2 , 4

The HIV and AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan region of Africa is directly related to domestic violence and sexual violence, making women and young girls in particular vulnerable to HIV. The power structures that dominate society and perpetuate economic, social and cultural inequalities that place women in subordinate positions with regard to meeting their basic needs, protecting their bodies, participating and making decisions in society contribute significantly to this global pandemic. 2 , 4 , 5

Why is GBV so prevalent in South Africa? Is it because of the way males are brought up to exert power and control over vulnerable women? South Africa is well known as a very patriarchal country and many cultural and traditional events and activities entrench this patriarchal behaviour reinforcing power over women. Media, in reporting incidences of GBV, focus on the victim by publishing headlines that read ‘a woman has been raped’ rather than stating ‘a man has raped a woman’. The issue of consent is blurred with Lobola where many wrongly assume that the woman now belongs to a man (a possession that he can use as he pleases). Consent is something that should be freely given, that can be recalled at any time and a person must be capable and understand the consequences of such consent. Young children, especially those below the age of 12 do not have the mental capacity for such consent. The South African Constitution clearly states that everyone is entitled to freedom and security of the person includes the right to be free from all forms of violence. 2 , 4 , 5

Governments often lack the ability to address GBV, even where laws and codes of practice are in place mainly because it is tied up with gendered power relations that are deeply entrenched in some cultures. The lack of political and institutional will to deal with GBV is sustained by public attitudes. Gender-based violence is seen as part and parcel of life in many societies and there is little or no pressure on governments to address it. 2 , 4 , 5

The justice and police systems shift blame to the victim rather than the perpetrator with questions posed such as ‘why were you alone’, ‘why were you dressed in that way’, ‘why were you out so late’. This automatically places vulnerable victims in a difficult situation when they actually need help and are survivors of horrific acts.

The World Bank states that GBV or violence against women and girls is a global pandemic that affects one in three women in their lifetime. The figures are staggering: 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence; 7% of women globally have been sexually assaulted by someone other than a partner and as many as 38% of murders of women are committed by an intimate partner, while 200 million women have been subjected to female genital mutilation. Violence and trauma are still some of the commonest reasons to seek healthcare in South Africa. 2 , 4 , 5

Gender-based violence is not only devastating for survivors of violence and their families but also entails significant social and economic costs. The World Bank estimates that in some countries, violence against women costs countries up to 3.7% of their gross domestic product (GDP) – more than double what most governments spend on education. 2 , 4 , 5

Gender-based violence, although very common in SA, is also present in other countries. There has been reports of violence against women at concerts in the United Kingdom, against women who defaecate in public in Bangladesh, against female university students in Norway and female genital mutilation in many countries. This emphasises the need to educate and involve men in all discussions and education to reduce this epidemic. 2 , 4 , 5

Women’s rights campaigners have worked hard over many years to bring the issue of GBV to the attention of the world. This has led to a number of countries taking notable steps at national level to eradicate violence against women. The problem is that these steps have focussed primarily on improving the laws relating to violence against women but much less has been done to actually enforce these laws and to deal with the underlying cause of the problem which is the imbalance of power between women and men and the way gender roles are articulated at all levels of society. 2 , 4 , 5

Although the president has spoken out against GBV and 16 days of activism has been set aside for GBV – this is insufficient. We as family physicians and the medical profession need to place more emphasis on teaching, training new doctors to be aware of this global epidemic and manage this scourge effectively. We also need to be more involved in community awareness programmes and empower communities to manage this epidemic which has been around long before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and will be around for more decades to come. We need to advocate at schools and universities to include managing, reporting and documenting GBV in our curriculum. The repercussions of GBV will be felt by our future generations as GBV has long-lasting mental and physical consequences and becomes a vicious cycle of abuse and gender-based violence. 2 , 4 , 5

How to cite this article: Govender I. Gender-based violence – An increasing epidemic in South Africa. S Afr Fam Pract. 2023;65(1), a5729. https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v65i1.5729

Six ways to end gender-based violence

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• 5 years ago

Intersectional Women’s March against GBV Pretoria 2018

What is gender-based violence?

There are different definitions of gender-based violence (GBV). GBV can broadly be defined as ‘…the general term used to capture violence that occurs as a result of the normative role expectations associated with each gender, along with the unequal power relationships between genders, within the context of a specific society.’ The expectations associated with each gender vary from society to society, but patriarchy is a common factor. Male leadership is seen as the norm and men hold most of the power. Patriarchy is a social and political system that treats men as superior to women. In a patriarchal society, women can’t fully protect their bodies from violence, meet their basic needs and participate in society. The root cause of gender-based violence globally is inequitable gender norms.

What are the forms of gender-based violence?

There are  many forms of GBV . GBV can be physical, sexual, emotional, financial or structural. Violence can be perpetrated by intimate partners, acquaintances, strangers and institutions. The forms of GBV include violence against women and girls, violence against LGBTI people, intimate partner violence, domestic violence, sexual violence   and indirect (structural) violence.

Structural violence is described as violence that is built into structures, resulting in unequal power relations and unequal opportunities affecting certain groups, classes, genders or nationalities of people. Political and social norms change can address structural violence.

Intimate partner violence is the most common form of GBV. It includes physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and controlling behaviours by a current or former intimate partner or spouse. Intimate partner violence can happen in heterosexual or same-sex couples.

We know that GBV levels are high but we don’t always have accurate statistics due to many factors, for example, under-reporting of incidents. GBV is very high in South Africa compared to other countries. On average, one in five South African women older than 18 has experienced physical violence. Thousands of women and children are psychologically harmed by GBV and suffer long-term trauma and harm to their lives. The main drivers as shown by the available statistics are intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence. Gender-based violence permeates all structures of society – political, economic and social -and is driven by entrenched patriarchy and complex and intersectional power inequalities found in race, gender, class and sexuality.

How can we end gender-based violence?

We’ve made some progress in addressing GBV. We are better at defining and understanding it. We are better at collecting data and evidence to identify and support effective interventions. We’ve seen relatively improved awareness and access to services. Despite the gains, gender-based violence is still a challenge. So, how can we effectively address the fundamental inequalities to end GBV? A good starting point is to recognise that women’s rights are human rights. South Africa has a strong legislative framework and is a signatory to several international treaties on GBV. Examples include the Domestic Violence Act (DVA), the Sexual Offences Act, and the Prevention and Combatting of Trafficking in Human Persons (2013) Act”. We urge South Africa’s government to ratify the ILO Convention 190, which addresses violence, discrimination and harassment in the world of work.

Six actions we can take to end GBV

• How to deal with the pain of others – Tips for educators, facilitators and researchers
• Bargaining for gender equity

The LRS response to GBV in the workplace and communities

• Ending gender-based violence in the health sector
• Working with teacher unions to end school-related gender-based violence
• Working together with communities to end school-related gender-based violence
• Creating safe and inclusive workplaces free of homophobia

Watch:  Education unions take action to end school-related gender-based violence in Africa.

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Stop Gender Violence: A National Campaign

Policy development & advocacy, gender-based violence in south africa.

The high rates of gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa, further highlighted by a number of high-profile cases over the last few years, has given rise to significant public support to end GBV. Government has made some efforts towards ending GBV, but these have been marred by inefficient coordination and almost no budget provisions made towards prevention and services.

One such effort towards effective coordination was the National Council on Gender-Based Violence (NCGBV), a council created for the purpose of drafting, costing, and implementing a national strategic plan (NSP) to combat GBV. Since its formation in 2012, it has been destabilised by political changes and lack of funding to execute its mandate. There has been no official word on its status since 2014 when former Minister of Women, Susan Shabangu, was appointed and the Ministry failed to reconstitute it and provide an update on its status.

In response, civil society organisations across the country came together in 2014 to form the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence (NSP GBV) campaign, demanding a fully-costed, evidence-based, multi-sectoral, inclusive and comprehensive NSP to end GBV. The campaign’s mandate and objectives have since broadened to holistically address and respond to GBV more broadly. As such, the campaign was renamed in May 2016 to Stop Gender Violence: A National Campaign.

The campaign has carried out the following activities since its inception:

• Research and policy work on civil society’s NSPGBV shadow framework – a framework to inform the aim of a government-led NSPGBV.
• Provincial engagements with grassroot organisations and beneficiaries to to ensure that grassroots voices are able to shape the NSPGBV agenda.
• Capacity-building and administrative support to civil society groups in advancing efforts of the campaign.
• The production of technical materials and briefs to strengthen the content of the NSPGBV.
• A petition in 2014, signed by South Africans demanding an NSP on GBV. Find the link here .
• A postcard campaign in 2014 with individualised personal stories of women affected by GBV, which are posted to the Minister of Women, urging action. You can see these here .
• Marches across the country in 2014 demanding an NSP on GBV and calling for an end to lip service, unfunded mandates, and no more empty promises.

The campaign launched its NSPGBV shadow framework in October 2017 and is currently in the process of engaging government to ensure the uptake of the NSPGBV. Diagnostic review of government strategies to address violence against women and children

In 2014 KPMG was commissioned to conduct a diagnostic review of government strategies to address violence against women and children (VAWC) and what could be done to strengthen them. It reviews both the institutional and programmatic mechanisms by which the state addresses violence against women (VAW) and violence against children (VAC). It considers the ‘whole of government’ response, covering overarching challenges faced by 11 key departments with roles to address VAWC. It considers the state response across the three spheres of government: national, provincial and local.

The report was embargoed for many months but is now finally available online at evaluations.dpme.gov.za . We place them here for ease of access and to make sure they remain easily available for civil society activists and researchers:

• Report on the assessment of government evaluations
• Report on diagnostic review of the state response to violence against women and children
• Report on diagnostic review of the state response to violence against women and children – summary version
• Diagnostic review of the country’s response to violence against women and children
• Diagnostic evaluation/programme audit for violence against women and children
• Signed table of recommendations

See our short video on why we need an NSP on GBV here .

Like our Facebook page ( NSP GBV Campaign ) and follow us on Twitter ( @NSPGBV ).

To join the campaign, email the membership form (found here ) to [email protected] .

“No more empty promises! No more unfunded mandates! No more lip-service!”

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‘You have the power to change’ – Young women in South Africa break through stigma and poverty and inspire others

Date: Monday, 1 July 2024

Listening to Thandolwami Zwelinjani (who prefers to be called Thando) and her peers sing and dance jubilantly, no one would guess the life-threatening challenges they’ve had to overcome. They are from Nomzamo Township in Strand, Cape Town, South Africa, and through the Young Women for Life Movement, they have found ways to break free of the cycle of poverty and violence.

The movement-building programme, supported by the Southern Africa Catholic Bishops Conference and Peace Commission, UN Women and  UNAIDS, works with poor and marginalized women and girls, including those affected by gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS.

In South Africa, women and girls are disproportionately affected by HIV. According to the  2023 National Strategic Plan on HIV, STIs and TB, almost two-thirds of all new HIV infections occur in women . Of these, adolescent girls and young women constitute more than a third. Also, across all age groups, the incidence rate of HIV was highest among adolescent girls and young women, and four times higher than in their male counterparts. 

Overcoming depression and stigma– Thando’s journey

Thando joined the programme just last year, and it has already had a profound impact on her life. “When I started here, I came to study hospitality. Then I met Phindile Maseko,” shared Thando.  She introduced the programme and I felt like I really needed it because some of us were going through a lot that we couldn’t talk about. We thought people would make fun of us.”

Before joining the programme, Thando struggled with depression. She had dropped out of school when her family left her without financial support or direction upon discovering that she was a lesbian. “The programme helped me remember who I was and the things I liked and disliked,” she recalled.  She is now a trained chef and makes beautiful beadwork.

A talented singer, Thando has become more confident of her abilities and does not shy away from public performances.  “Young Women for Life gave me so much power that I started believing in myself and realized that my passion for singing can become a source of inspiration and power for many girls who were once lost just like me,” she said.

From teen mother to a successful entrepreneur – Gugulethu is an inspiration for girls in her community

Gugulethu Mdoba (affectionately called Gugu), is another shining example of the impact of the programme. “I grew up in a poor family, and I got pregnant when I was 18 years old,” shared Gugu. “It was hard for me to raise my child because my family was struggling too, and the baby’s father ran away. I started selling some baked goods to support my child.” 

Without financial literacy and business skills, Gugu was struggling when she met Phindile from Young Women for Life Movement, who encouraged her to join the programme and learn business skills. 

Today, Gugu’s bakery is flourishing.  Overwhelmed by demand, she is now expanding into fast food.

“My business has grown a lot,” she said, beaming. “I have many customers now. I deliver my products to salons and shops. Sometimes I just walk a short distance and my muffins are sold out because people pre-order them, and I deliver them the next day.”

Her child in the fifth grade, and a source of motivation to improve her life. Gugu recently bought a bigger kitchen stove and started training other young women and girls in baking.

From family rejection to financial struggle and depression, both Thando and Gugu faced significant challenges, but the Young Women for Life Movement helped them feel connected, hopeful, and learn leadership and business skills to grow their resilience.  

The programme  started as a small network in 2019 with just 80 young women and girls, coming together in someone’s backyard. With UN Women support, it has grown into a movement that has impacted 8,000 girls in South Africa alone. Through leadership dialogues, skills-building, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship training, the programme is also active in Botswana and Eswatini.

“Some of the girls and young women in the group are living with HIV,” said Phindile Maseko, Coordinator of the Young Women for Life Movement in Cape Town. “They were so discouraged when we met them that they had even stopped taking antiretroviral medication. But now, they have hope and are fighting for a better future.”

“The Young Women for Life Movement models a unique approach to building resilience against gender-based violence and HIV among young women. Through the power of association and peer-support that members receive from each other and the innovative and practical solutions they develop, the programme  has grown into a powerful network for influencing policies. Through their advocacy, these young women have brough pressing issues to the attention of decision-makers,” said Jacqueline Utamuriza-Nsizabira, UN Women HIV/AIDS Specialist in the region.

Gugu has a message for young girls facing similar challenges: “It is not the end of the world. You have the power to change your life.”

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Gender-Based Violence in South Africa

Gender-based violence is any harm done to a person or group of persons because of their actual or perceived sex, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Any act of gender-based violence, whether public or private, causes or is likely to inflict bodily, sexual, or psychological pain or suffering to women, including threats of such actions, coercion, or arbitrary loss of liberty. Gender-based violence is motivated by a desire to humiliate and make a person or group feel inferior or submissive and is based on a power imbalance.

The violence is deeply ingrained in society’s social and cultural institutions, habits, and beliefs, and it is usually perpetrated through the use of technology. As Suzor et al. (2018) illustrated, gender-based violence can take many forms, ranging from verbal hostility and hate speech on the Internet to rape or murder. A former spouse or a current, a family member, a co-worker, schoolmates, friends, an unknown individual, or someone acting on behalf of cultural, religious, state, or intra-state institutions can all perpetuate it. This essay covers a gender-based violence practice against women, in particular, the rising rape cases in South Africa.

Rape is defined broadly under South Africa’s judicial system. Moreover, it comprises oral, anal, or vaginal penetration of a person’s mouth with an animal’s sexual organs and anal or vaginal penetration with any item. In the 2019/20 fiscal year, the police recorded 42,289 rapes, up from 41,583 in the previous fiscal year (Banda, 2020). The data equates to an average of 116 rapes every day reported to the police (Banda, 2020). The ISS has cautioned that police rape data are not an “accurate indicator of either the extent or trend of this crime.

The findings supports my rationale for focusing on rape, a well-known form of gender-based violence in South Africa that affects young women. The steady rise in violence against women has become one of the most visible and destructive vestiges of this complicated history, intensified by apartheid’s aggression, the social consequences of the migrant labor force, and patriarchal authority’s impact. Sexual assault was used to maintain control, submission, and interracial compliance during the colonial era and the apartheid era.

The act is the most heinous kind of gender-based violence that exists. Hence, it is critical to endorse stringent policies to combat the steady surge of rape cases in South Africa. Several rape cases were recorded from January to March 2021, the data represents a 387-case decrease over the same period in 2020 (Banda, 2020). The number of rape cases documented at that time, according to one gender activist, illustrates how little is being implemented in the country to fight GBV. More than 2 000 people have reported rape cases in Gauteng since the beginning of the year, ranking it as the country’s economic hub the top province for verified rapes in South Africa.

After critical analysis, it is clear that South Africa is a society riven with deep contradictions, especially between the pledges of the legislation and the reality of modern life. Legislation is a step forward, but official legal reform is merely the beginning. Implementing tools for cultural change is critical, yet changing a society’s culture is not simple. Because of the apartheid heritage, sexual violence remains rampant; nonetheless, the legal elimination of apartheid did not eliminate the institutions that held society in check. Violence continues to be a part of many people’s lives, particularly women’s lives. The system of government and its institutions, such as the police force, have established sexual violence as a social standard rather than making genuine efforts to counteract it, resulting in the continuation of sexual violence.

Most research on rape researcher has emphasized that historical studies of sexual violence against women are crucial. In that regard rape is seen as not only a severe problem that needs to be addressed but also as a vehicle for exploring bigger issues of gender-based violence. Insight into significant historical themes can be gained through research into rape in South Africa.

Three hypotheses have dominated the rape debate since the 1970s. Rape theories are classified as Feminist, Social Learning, and Biological (Kukkaje, 2019). Despite their popularity, these ideas have proven ineffective in describing the South African reality because of their western focus. The principles of Feminist Theory and Social Learning theory, on the other hand, have informed my view of rape’s origins. According to the Feminist theory, rape is the product of ancient and profound entrenched social practices, in which males have dominated all critical political and economic activities practically. According to the theory, women have been barred from gaining social and economic power in society. As a result, they’ve been labeled as unequal.

Men commit domination and reinforce women’s subordination through physical violence, known as women rape. Donnerstein and Malamuth’s Social Learning Theory, the notion emphasizes the role of cultural variables in understanding rape (Fritz, et al., 2020). This perspective contends that rape is a taught habit influenced by culture and a society’s prevalence of violence. As a result, images of sex and violence, often known as “rape myths” and desensitization to these effects, all play a part in forming rape culture. The third rape theory, as exacerbates that aggressive sexual conduct by males is a response to natural selection and the drive to reproduce (Baumeister, 2018). Accordingly, aggressive copulatory methods are an extreme reaction to natural selection pressure for men to be pushier in their attempts to copulate than females. Both the Feminist and Social Learning theories may be applied to the rape epidemic in South Africa. The identification of a gender hierarchy in feminist theory applies to male-dominated townships. Due to their marginalization as citizens, women have had little social or political authority in these areas.

Survivors experience diverse negative impacts of sexual assault; there is no list of typical “symptoms” they should exhibit. What is shared is that such effects are profound, affecting the physical and mental health of victims/survivors and their interpersonal relationships with family, friends, partners and colleagues. More than this, the impacts of sexual assault go beyond the individual to have a collective effect on the social wellbeing of our communities.

There are a variety of effects on humans, the most significant of which are psychological and emotional repercussions. Sexual assault has been linked to various short- and long-term mental and emotional impacts (Voth et al, 2018). Thus, it is usual to have symptoms like extreme dread of death and detachment during an assault. These are normal bodily reactions. The fact that terror paralyzed the victim does not indicate she consented to the attack. After a case of rape, the most common reactions are anxiety and acute terror. As a result of sexual assault, many people are afraid of catching HIV/STIs and becoming pregnant. Sexual assault can lead to fears of future attacks and other damage. This presumption is shattered if the victim/survivor has previously regarded the world as essentially a secure place.

The trauma response model and the clinical diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have aided in recognizing the gravity of the pain inflicted on those who have been sexually assaulted and the scope of the violation they have endured. Not every woman who has been sexually assaulted suffers from physical damage or medical issues. Sexual assault, on the other hand, can result in a wide range of physical damage and health effects. Injuries might occur as a direct result of the assault, subsequent problems, or psychological harm. For sure victims of penetrative sexual assault, physical consequences might include injury to the urethra, vagina, and anus; gastrointestinal, sexual, and reproductive health issues; pain syndromes; and eating disorders, including bulimia nervosa—increased risk of sexually transmitted illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, unintended pregnancy, and abortion decisions. Irritable bowel syndrome, chronic diseases like diabetes and arthritis, headaches, and gynecologic symptoms like dysmenorrhea, pain or cramps in the lower abdomen during menstruation, menorrhagia (abnormally heavy or prolonged bleeding during menstruation), and sex-related issues are just a few examples.

People who have been sexually abused have lower self-esteem than those who have never been sexually abused. Sexual assault can affect how the victim/survivor interacts with family, friends, and the community at large. Following a sexual assault, interpersonal connections with intimate partners and friendships and familial interactions can be impacted. Communication problems, intimacy issues, trust issues, sexual relations issues, and the pleasure of social activities can all be harmed. Overprotectiveness on the victim might also be a problem due to avoidance of social interactions and feelings of poor self-worth and self-doubt. Family, friends, and partners’ reactions might assist or harm the situation. The victim’s survivor’s Negative emotions can lead to avoidant coping strategies linked to a lower recovery success rate, but supportive reactions can help in recovery and healing.

Sexual assault has ramifications for the victim’s partner, children, family, and friends, as well as the larger community: A sexual assault and its aftermath can affect non-perpetrator family members, partners, acquaintances, and children of victims/survivors; these persons are frequently referred to as “secondary victims.” Secondary victims often suffer from the impacts of trauma, with symptoms that are sometimes comparable to those experienced by primary victims, and knowledge of a traumatic incident experienced by a significant other is painful in and of itself – this is secondary trauma.

Even though it is impossible to put a monetary number on the trauma inflicted by sexual assault, it is crucial to recognize that the victim and the wider community bear financial expenses. Loss of actual wages, future earning potential, medical expenditures; intangible costs (loss of quality of life, sorrow, and suffering); and counseling fees are just a few examples. The victim frequently incurs such expenses and costs; nevertheless, the whole community bears the consequences of sexual assault, both financial and non-financial. In each state and territory, monetary compensation may be offered through the relevant organization. Furthermore, details, connections, and information may be found. Rapists’ psychological reasons are more complicated than previously imagined. They might include the urge to punish, exact vengeance, inflict pain, demonstrate sexual prowess, or exert control via terror.

Mann, 2021, compares rape victims to those who are in excruciating pain but can’t help themselves. The juxtaposition of animal predation with routine sexual assault begs the question of how a reaction reserved for deadly, no-way-out conditions in animals is present in modes of violation when the victim does not report fear of death or serious bodily damage.

Many people experience remorse after witnessing rape victims. They visualize their counterpart’s agony, making them fearful of being in a similar circumstance. Furthermore, they have a variety of psychological reactions, but they frequently involve feelings of guilt, humiliation, uncertainty, fear, and wrath. Victims often describe a pervasive sensation of filth, an inability to feel clean, an overpowering sense of vulnerability, and a paralyzing sense of powerlessness over their life. Many people are terrified of returning to the crime scene, being followed, and having any sexual connections. Others have sleep or food routines that have been disrupted for a long time or cannot perform at work.

For the record, eliminating violence against young women and girls requires a multi-pronged, community-based strategy as well as ongoing interaction with a wide range of stakeholders, such as everyone’s participation. In order to be most effective, violence prevention initiatives must address underlying risk factors for violence, such as gender roles in society and societal tolerance for violence. If we do not address this issue now, we will incur significant costs in the future. Children who grow up in a violent environment are more likely to become future survivors or perpetrators of violence, according to numerous research.

Banda, Z. J. (2020). A survey on gender-based violence – The paradox of trust between women and men in South Africa: A missiological scrutiny. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies , 76 (1). Web.

Baumeister, H. (2018). Theories and legislative histories of war rape and forced marriage. Sexualised Crimes, Armed Conflict and the Law, 43–81. Web.

Fritz, N., Malic, V., Paul, B., & Zhou, Y. (2020). A descriptive analysis of the types, targets, and relative frequency of aggression in mainstream pornography. Archives of Sexual Behavior , 49 (8), 3041–3053. Web.

Kukkaje, M. (2019). Violence against women: A review of literature with reference to men perpetrators. Artha – Journal of Social Sciences , 18 (1), 1–12. Web.

Mann, B. (2021). Rape and social death. Feminist Theory. Web.

Suzor, N., Dragiewicz, M., Harris, B., Gillett, R., Burgess, J., & Van Geelen, T. (2018). Human Rights by design: The responsibilities of social media platforms to address gender-based violence online. Policy & internet, 11(1), 84–103. Web.

Voth Schrag, R. J., & Edmond, T. E. (2018). Intimate partner violence, trauma, and mental health need among female community college students. Journal of American College Health , 66 (7), 702-711. Web.

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Six Steps to Unite against Gender-Based Violence in Africa - Beyond the 16 Days Campaign

Muhanuuzi dorah.

Tomorrow marks the last day of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence – but certainly not the last year. While the fight for gender equality has seen some progress in recent years, gender-based violence (GBV) continues to be a major human rights issue around the world and will require global attention for years to come. As a feminist and a lawyer living and working in Uganda, I think about this issue daily. In this blog I’d like to propose six practical steps so that we can fight GBV beyond the 16 Days campaign.

But first, a bit of background. According to World Health Organization , GBV affects more than one in three women throughout their lifetime. Most of it is caused by intimate partner violence (IPV). Worldwide, almost 27% of women aged 15-49 years report that they have been subjected to some form of physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner.

Getting an accurate understanding of this issue in Africa remains a challenge: only 18 out of 54 African countries have data on IPV. However, the African Development Bank’s Gender Data Index 2019 suggests a prevalence of intimate partner sexual or physical violence ranges from a little over 10% to close to 40% across Africa, which is some of the highest globally.

Violence against women and girls has a significant toll on not just our well-being, but also on our families across generations and societies more broadly. In some countries, violence against women is estimated to cost countries up to 3.7% of their GDP. During the COVID-19 pandemic rates of violence against women increased, making sustained action to address drivers and consequences of violence a dire need.

Against this background, here are six imperatives to unite against GBV beyond the 16 Days campaign .

1. The role of local, national, and regional leaders

Leaders across the continent have a big role to play in taking proper legal action to ensure that gender equality and equity are a lived reality in the lives of women and girls. They must also take the lead in building a social consensus that women’s rights and their ultimate protection are essential to sustainable human development. As a continent, we must move beyond legal and policy frameworks towards effective implementation built on both new and renewed attitudes toward ending GBV in all its forms.

2. Invest in women and girls

It has often been said that a financially empowered woman is a liberated woman. Therefore, aside from ensuring legal protections and rights, we must strategically invest in women and girls. When governments and international organizations provide targeted and sufficient funding, we ensure women and girls have access to quality education and training, feel economically empowered, and are more likely to participate fully in society.

3. Ensure political participation for women

One of the biggest factors perpetuating GBV is that many women are excluded at the social and political levels, especially when it comes to designing laws and decisions that affect community life. This means that many new laws and norms continue to exclude women, leaving them vulnerable to the compound interest of ongoing gender disparities. This is true at any level, from a local council’s disaster-preparedness plan to the national parliament.

4. Educate and engage communities 

We can change legislation, or improve access to services, such as preventative or post-violence care; but to change mindsets and challenge stereotypes, we need to engage at the community level - engage men, boys, traditional and religious leaders at the grassroots level. This engagement must be targeted, based on accurate analyses of the situation and supported by quality, disaggregated and globally comparable data.

5. Believe and support GBV survivors

One of the biggest barriers to ending GBV today is that survivors are often not believed when they speak up. Speaking up is the first step needed to break the cycle of GBV instead of disbelieving, ridiculing, or simply gas lighting survivors and their stories. It also discourages other people suffering GBV from speaking out. This not only harms those experiencing violence, but also entire communities. GBV thrives in silence, and survivors speaking up boldly without fear of persecution helps us understand the magnitude of the vice and how we can respond better. Beyond believing survivors, we also need to ensure that they have the support they need during and after reporting their abuse.

6. Women must support other women

The importance of supporting each other cannot be overstated. This includes women being each other's keepers, standing up for one another, and calling out injustices against fellow women wherever it is happening in the world. Particularly, women leaders must support other women, mentor young women and girls, and make room for women when they can do so.

Collectively, we must commit to making the world a safer place for women and girls and others targeted because of their gender identity. We must continue finding ways to change social norms and to further prevent, mitigate, and respond to GBV on the continent beyond these 16 Days.

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Gender-based violence in South African universities: an institutional challenge

2019, CHE - Briefly Speaking

South Africa has witnessed increasing incidents of gender-based violence reportedly perpetrated within and around campuses of higher education institutions. The gender-based violence incidents that became local and/or national news are a tiny fraction of all such incidents in the country as the majority are not reported for various reasons. This makes it difficult to acquire a full picture of the scale of the scourge of gender-based violence in the country. Despite being one of the most common forms of human rights violations not only in South Africa, but in other countries as well, gender-based violence has not attracted much research interest as other forms of abuses of human rights. The result is that there is poor understanding of, and insight into this phenomenon which, in turn, constrain efforts to develop effective interventions to abate and eliminate gender-based violence. The paper looks at gender-based violence in higher education institutions as a challenge that needs to be addressed. It explores the possible causal factors and the reasons why it is difficult to acquire information about all incidents of gender-based violence in higher education institutions. It also assesses how universities respond to gender-based violence, and suggest an integrated framework that universities could adopt in order to effectively respond to the scourge of gender-based violence.

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Adriana Ramírez

Melak Mengistab Gebresilassie

Gender based violence is one of the most frequent type of human rights violation against girls and women. Having this background, the major objectives of this research was investigating the types, cause and consequences of this gender based violence against female students in Bahir Dar University. A qualitative study has been used predominantly to have a deep in-sight about the experiences of female students with regard to gender based violence (GBV). A case study design has been used, whereby the researcher investigates the respondents’ perspectives on their experience of GBV. A focus group discussion has also been employed to give depth to the study through analyzing groups’ consensus. Furthermore, in-depth interviews with key informants have been conducted to gather data on the prevailing norms and practices of the University in relation to GBV. Finally, beside the above major techniques, questionnaires have been distributed to female and male students to supplement the qualitative data with quantitative results. The out come of the research confirmed that, different sorts of GBV are committed against female students in Bahir Dar University. Sexual harassment is the most frequent form of sexual violence perpetrated against female students. In addition, attempted rape and rape too were perpetrated against female students mainly outside of the University. Psychological and emotional violence are also inflicted against female students through insult, humiliation and embarrassment. Economic violence, denial of liberty and discrimination in the form of giving priority to male students, are the other types of GBV observed in Bahir Dar University. Female students are also victims of physical violence through slap, battering and kicking. The causes for such types of violence were identified as legal and structural constraints. The legal challenges associated with the University which failed to have a specific policy on the rights of girls and its failure in incorporating the rights of girls within the existing senate legislation. Furthermore, absence of any nationwide law that protects girls against campus based GBV is another challenge. The structural constraints include the discriminatory culture, and poverty which are related to the society. The physical environment, alcoholism and drugs abuses are the other challenges related to the University and the students, respectively. GBV has various consequences on female students’ physical, emotional and psychological health and educational achievements. The study showed that GBV is one the major cause for female students’ lower academic achievements. Finally, the study points out some recommendations.

Susan Iverson

Italian Journal of Sociology of Education

Andrea Lombardinilo

The paper deals with the increasing phenomenon of sexual harassment in the academic environment, according to the figures of The Guardian investigation concerning sexual misconduct in UK Universities. In particular, Cambridge University recorded the highest number of incidents, after introducing a new reporting system. Thanks to its communicative impact, The Guardian investigation allows a further analysis into the reasons why universities failed to tackle sexual misconduct and did not succeed in enacting reforms to support and protect victims. This could be one of the most significant aspects of post-modern universities, partly enhanced by the perception of danger, both psychological and physical. Thanks to The Guardian’s investigation, and media emphasis on those figures, it is possible to interpret universities as places of risk in an era marked both by connected knowledge and relationships and by mass slaughters and the collective risks sometimes stemming from the involvement in research activities in unsafe countries. Sexual harassment in universities – perpetrated especially by students, as The Guardian inquiry emphasizes – sheds a light on the silent but painfully awkward situation of victims, usually unable to denounce the misconduct perpetrated by both students and staff.

George S. Rigakos , Dawn Moore , Doris Buss , Rashmee Singh

This Report is an examination of the police and institutional responses to sexual violence at Ontario university campuses. It is based on a comprehensive desk study of the extant literature as well as site studies at three Ontario universities: Carleton University, Lakehead University and the University of Waterloo. The study was conducted over a four-month period (March-June 2016) and includes approximately 120 hours of interview data. We interviewed three respondent groups: (1) campus administrators and service providers (n=50), (2) campus and local police (n=29), and (3) sexual violence survivors (n=18) and students (n=29).

Trauma, Violence & Abuse

Alesha Doan , Marcy Quiason , Natabhona M Mabachi

Sexual assault is a public health issue, with college-age students reporting high levels of victimization. Following an increase in national attention and federal initiatives, college and universities' sexual assault response efforts are being examined. The practice of community sexual assault response teams (SARTs) may provide campuses with a model strategy to coordinate campus and community service delivery and planning, still underdeveloped or missing at many institutions. This literature review summarizes in side-by-side fashion the most current empirical literature about community SARTs and campus team approaches (CTAs) in four domains: (1) defined purpose, (2) activities to achieve purpose, (3) membership, and (4) challenges to functioning. Two searches were conducted. The community SART inclusion criteria were (a) an empirical study focusing on community SARTs as the level of analysis, (b) located in the United States, (c) published between 2010 and 2017, and (d) written in English. The inclusion criteria for the CTA were (a) an empirical study on CTAs to sexual assault and/or intimate partner violence as the level of analysis and (b) written in English. Eight articles met the criteria for community SARTs, and six articles met the criteria for CTAs. Differences between community SARTs and CTAs included community SARTs shared and more discretely defined purpose and subsequent activities. Further directions offered for the conceptual and practical development of a CTA to address sexual assault include the need for clearer definition of a team's purpose leading to response-focused coordination of activities.

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Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Gender Discrimination — Combating Gender-Based Violence

Combating Gender-based Violence

• Categories: Gender Discrimination

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Words: 563 |

Published: Jan 29, 2024

Words: 563 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Definition and types of gender-based violence, causes of gender-based violence, effects of gender-based violence, existing strategies and interventions to address gender-based violence, challenges in addressing gender-based violence, recommendations and conclusion.

• World Health Organization. (2021). Violence against women. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women
• European Parliament. (2012). Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2014/536291/EPRS_BRI(2014)536291_EN.pdf
• UN Women. (2020). Men and boys are called to action to end gender-based violence. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/11/feature-men-and-boys-are-called-to-action-to-end-gender-based-violence

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