“Our freedom is also incomplete, dear compatriots, as long as we are denied our security by criminals who prey on our communities, who rob our businesses and undermine our economy, who ply their destructive trade in drugs in our schools, and who do violence against our women and children.” – Nelson Mandela, Freedom Day celebrations, Cape Town, South Africa, 1998.
Gender-based violence (GBV), in its many forms, be it physical, emotional, sexual, or economic, remains one of the most pervasive violations of human rights globally. Manifestations of this violence include intimate partner violence, sexual violence, child abuse and maltreatment, genital mutilation, forced and early marriage, human trafficking, woman abuse in the workplace, gender-related killings, and violence against gender non-conforming people. It robs individuals of their safety, dignity, and autonomy. South Africa is one of the countries with the highest GBV statistics, so much so that during the global coronavirus outbreak, the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa described GBV as a “second pandemic” due to the increase in cases during that time. However, beyond the pandemic or lockdown, GBV remains a critical area of concern.
In November, the Human Sciences Research Council released The First South African National Gender-Based Violence Study, 2022, which they describe as A Baseline Survey on Victimisation and Perpetration. The study found that 33.1% of all women aged 18 years and older had experienced physical violence in their lifetime. It further found that Black African women (at a prevalence of 37.9%) were the most affected by lifetime physical and/or sexual violence compared to other race groups. Meanwhile, police crime statistics for 2024 indicate that the murder of women increased by 7.9% to 966 cases during the first quarter of the year, while the murder of children climbed by 7.2% to 314 cases. Sexual offences in general declined 0.4% to 11 566 cases. However, incidents of rape increased by 0.6% to 9 309 cases, with most of them reported in Gauteng (1 921), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (1 895), the Eastern Cape (1 466), and Western Cape (1 037). This covers reported cases and bodies that have been found, leaving one to imagine the statistics if it included those that are reported.
I ask myself when will enough be enough? When will I ever walk down the streets of Johannesburg, Bethlehem or Qwaqwa without looking over my shoulder? The same old song of “boys will be boys” is still sung, and girls still have to watch what they wear instead of actually directing attention to perpetrators and actually holding them accountable. We walk on the streets, malls and campuses with fear of being the next victims and we end up giving our cell numbers to men we have no interest in to avoid being made into a statistic. I yearn for a time where I scroll on social media and see South Africans finding financial success and freedom and not see any ‘Rest in Power’ posts.
Nelson Mandela was unwavering in his stance against gender-based violence, adamantly denouncing any violence targeted towards women. He stressed that the pursuit of freedom must encompass the fight for women's rights and used his influence to challenge patriarchal norms. He often spoke about the need for men to be active participants in dismantling the structures that perpetuate GBV. He called for men to respect women as equals and to stand in solidarity with them in the fight for justice. Mandela’s message was clear: gender-based violence is not a “women’s issue” but a societal issue that affects everyone.
Most importantly, he acknowledged that a genuinely emancipated society would not only be devoid of political oppression, but also a place where the dignity of all individuals, particularly women, was esteemed and safeguarded.
During the 15th Nelson Mandela Annual lecture, Amina J. Mohammed stated that, “This struck me as an ideal subject for a lecture in the name of Nelson Mandela, as it provides an opportunity for me to address what remains perhaps the most pervasive inequality globally, in every country and every society – that of gender inequality.”
She further went on to say, “…gender is not equal to women. Gender inequality, norms, and stereotypes affect men and women, girls and boys. When young boys are taught that it is not manly to cry, they learn to suppress their emotions. When young men are taught that violence is masculine and accepted, we create the next generation of those who seek solutions at the barrel of a gun. When society dictates the role of men as breadwinners or aloof and distant fathers, we disempower families and create public policies that don’t match the reality of households, our communities and our societies.”
As we reflect on Nelson Mandela’s life and legacy, it is crucial to remember that his fight against GBV is far from over. His call to action remains relevant: a world free from violence will only come when all of us, women and men alike, commit to challenging and changing the systems that perpetuate harm.
“Since my release, I have become more convinced than ever that the real makers of history are the ordinary men and women of our country; their participation in every decision about the future is the only guarantee of true democracy and freedom.” – Nelson Mandela.
With this, I say, let us make that freedom a reality for everyone, especially those who have and continue to suffer in silence or whose cries are ignored.
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[1] Comins, L. (2024). Police crime statistics: Spike in murders of women and children. Mail & Guardian.