Introduction

Femicide is the most prevalent form of Gender-Based Violence in South Africa and ranks the country as having the highest rates of femicide globally. This Gender-Based Violence has existed for more than two decades, as reported by the Gender Health Search Unit of the South African Medical Research Council. Data from the African Health Organisation revealed that 51% of women in South Africa reported that they had experienced Gender-based violence. In comparison, 76% of men confirmed that they had been the perpetrators at one point. 

The Movement

Intimate partners remain the primary perpetrators of femicide; this highlights the significant role intimate relationships play in femicide. In November 2024, a man took to social media and confessed to murdering his partner, alleging that “she played around with his feelings”. This raised significant controversies in conversations on social media, as it tore into two people’s perspectives on the matter. Many were alarmed because the perpetrator dared to share this on social media and because some people attempted to justify the perpetrator’s actions. The differences in perspectives sparked outrage on social media. Consequently, this brought light to the phenomenon of victim blaming, as indicated by the perpetrator’s words. 

Social and Economic Issues

Many women in South Africa remain more disadvantaged as compared to men, which is exacerbated by the deep-rooted patriarchy and toxic masculinity, as highlighted in the article; The Impact of the Patriarchal System in South Africa: Exploring the Challenges of Women in Poverty Reduction. These factors play a role in Gender-Based Violence, as many South African women are economically independent of their intimate partners, making abusive relationships a menacing necessity for survival. It’s important to note that South Africa remains one of those traditional societies that usually do not favour women.

Social Media Awareness

Social media serves as a tool that is gradually illuminating the concerns of inequities, abuse, and sexism that women face through their shared experiences. As a result of the incident involving the confession, resilient women used social media as a platform to share the mistreatment they have had to endure from men. The stories were excruciating, as they shared tragic incidents of abuse from their intimate partners with their final resort, not being the murder of their partners. This gave insight into the issue of victim blaming, highlighting its prevalence and the injustice perpetuating it.

Conclusion

“Every three hours, a woman is murdered” This alarming statistic was reported by StatsSA in 2019 and remains all too prevalent today, and it is a national crisis. This is not a statistic; this is a cry for help. Furthermore, the African Health Organisation reported that femicide ranks higher than obesity, high blood pressure, and smoking as a cause of death. These reports signify the urgent need for a justice system that works and the dismantling of toxic masculinity and traditions that continue to undermine women. There will be no justice if the perpetrators are not met with harsh punishment but justify their actions.