As South Africa marks the start of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Amnesty International South Africa has raised alarms over the deeply ingrained patriarchal norms fueling the crisis.

Gendered power imbalances and harmful societal attitudes continue to perpetuate high levels of violence against women, says Shenilla Mohamed, the organization’s Executive Director.

“In a country where approximately 15 women are murdered daily and 116 rapes are reported each day, it is troubling that some still believe women deserve punishment under certain circumstances.”

A national GBV prevalence study by the Human Sciences Research Council revealed stark realities: nearly 36% of South African women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime, equating to an estimated 7.8 million victims.

Alarmingly, 10.7% of surveyed men believe women should tolerate violence to keep families together, and 8.3% think there are instances where women deserve to be beaten.

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“These attitudes perpetuate a culture of silence and acceptance,” Mohamed emphasized.

“To combat GBV, society must challenge toxic norms while ensuring stronger legal consequences for perpetrators. Yet, the broken criminal justice system fails victims, offering little deterrence for offenders.”

The latest police statistics show 42,569 reported rapes in 2023/24—a slight 0.5% decline from the previous year. However, Mohamed cautioned against interpreting this as progress, as underreporting remains rampant.

High-profile cases like the unsolved murders of Popi Qwabe and Bongeka Phungula illustrate systemic failures. Despite ongoing appeals, their families have received no meaningful updates on their cases.

Mohamed urged the state to act decisively. “The police and judiciary must prioritize GBV cases to uphold the rights to safety, life, and dignity. Enough is enough—action is needed now.”