Introduction

Gender based violence is a harrowing issue that plagues all corners of South Africa. Its impact is enormous and contributes to the high rate of femicide in the country. The disparity between how boys and girls are raised to view and value each other is one factor that has a hand in this. Girls are raised to respect the men in their families; however, for boys, they grow to view women as fragile individuals who require protection and need to be “kept in check”. As a result, women are objectified, denied their agency and bodily autonomy. Once women begin to own their agency and their voice, some men feel the need to silence it.

The Shadow of Patriarchy: Unpacking Violence Against Women

A 2024 Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) study revealed that almost 70% of men believed a wife should obey her husband and 15% felt a husband had the right to “punish” his wife. Historical data has continually shown that a large portion of femicides arise from domestic violence or cases where the women had been specifically targeted following the break-up of relationships or spurning romantic advances. The Department of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, along with NGOs, has continued to underscore the deep-seated nature of patriarchy and male entitlement attitudes as fostering such violence.

The Intersection between Rape Culture and the Lack of Policy Implementation where Gender-based violence is Concerned

South Africa is a rape capital to an extent that people have become desentized to rape cases. The frequent occurrence of rape in South Africa is firmly rooted in a society of violence, patriarchal standards, and social attitudes that routinely normalize male entitlement over women’s bodies. Conversations at homes, businesses, and communities reflect this widespread “rape culture”. This is exhibited by how most men see nothing wrong with sexual harassment and have rather, conflated rape reports with “false accusations that seek to bring a male inidivual down” With 10,688 rape allegations out of a total of 13,453 sexual offences, the South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics for January–March 2025 show the continuing frequency of this issue. 

Moreover, rape cases have low conviction rates. Rape culture makes it more likely that GBV will be ignored, blamed on the victim, and underreported. For example, a 2025 UN Women report shows that in areas where there is a lot of rape culture, conviction rates for sexual assault stay a lot lower, even if there are good laws in place, because of bias in the justice system and people’s reluctance to hold perpetrators accountable.

Conclusion 

We have progressive laws in South Africa that are just not effectively getting implemented. Women have raised awareness for decades now, calling for an equitable society that cares for its women. However, their pleas have been trivialized and ignored. There is hope that with the November shutdown initiated by Women For Change, that we will really see this change and that all South African men will be cognisant that change begins with them, with us, with everyone. 

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