TEGAN SNYMAN | Gender-based violence and femicide need to be treated as a true national crisis

South Africa has an epidemic of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). This is a statement that cannot be contested.

Last year, 42,569 rapes and 7,418 cases of sexual assault were reported. That works out to over 116 rapes and 20 sexual assaults per day. This is just what is reported.

It is unknown how many incidents of rape and sexual assault actually occurred. According to the same statistics, 5,578 women were murdered and there were 7,239 attempted murders of women.

At the beginning of this year, the South African Police Service (SAPS) were criticised for omitting disaggregated data on murder, attempted murder, and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm targeting women and children in its quarterly crime statistics.

After months of delay, the recent release of the outstanding last two quarters crime statistics confirm that rates of GBVF remain worryingly high, with 19,387 rapes reported in the period of April - September 2025. That is over 105 incidents of rape a day in those six months.

There has been little to no improvement in the situationif we look at the statistics.

The GBVF crisis is increasingly recognised and discussed - online, within traditional and social media, and even by government officials.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, on the eve of the G20 Summit, confirmed its status as a national disaster, undoubtedly as a result of the demands from civil society, led by Women For Change.

However, it is worth noting that this classification does not invoke emergency powers, but rather just “reinforces and strengthens” the systems already in place. These are systems, however, that have not been implemented very well, something we lament about every time we talk about GBVF.

Ending GBVF requires a concerted effort from individuals, communities, civil society and government alike. It means we have to hold perpetrators accountable and change societal norms and behaviours so that there are fewer boys who grow up to be men who perpetuate violence.

This requires education, dismantling patriarchal power structures and rape culture, as ell as ensuring women have equal educational opportunities and earning potential.

But what about the government and its institutions? It is easy to push the responsibility onto society, and of course, that is a major component, but as societal and cultural shifts take time, what about the government’s role and duty to women in this country in the face of this crisis right now?

We need a system that functions, supports survivors and honours victims. One that guarantees justice for them.

This necessitates: A police service that takes every story seriously. One that does not ignore or ridicule women. One that does not tell a victim that it is a family matter that should be resolved in private. One that, in the face of femicide, conducts a full and thorough investigation. One that answers the phone and collects rape kits once they have been conducted, and processes them timeously.

Currently, there is an estimated DNA backlog exceeding 140,000 cases. One that collects, analyses and accurately publishes data on GBVF. To have a police service like this requires empathy but also requires ongoing training, resourcing and auditing.

Training on sexual offences for police at all levels, and not just investigating officers, has to be a priority. All police stations need to have victim-friendly rooms, and need to have access to vehicles so they can respond to call-outs.

Police officers should have access to psycho-social support, considering the brutality they are exposed to day to day.

This also requires a department of health that trains doctors and nurses to be able to execute rape kits and one that prioritises the training of forensic skills.

The Western Cape reportedly currently has only two full-time qualified forensic nurses for the entire province.

The government likes to proclaim that Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCCs) are “one stop shops” for post-sexual violence care, however, since the USAID cuts in January 2025, many have lost crucial funding that ensures effective service delivery for survivors.

The SAPS and the Department of Health are just two of several governmental institutions that need to urgently prioritise and act accordingly in the face of this crisis

The National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide has been in place since 2019, and the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Bill was signed into law in May 2024, yet proper implementation and establishment of a council have still not happened.

Whilst we live in a country which feels inundated with urgent problems that require time, money, and attention, protecting girls and women from sexual and gender-based violence is non-negotiable. Maybe the declaration of GBVF as a national crisis will be decisive in spurring government action and finally turning the tide of fear and exhaustion that plagues the lives of so many women in this country. Or perhaps, once again, it will amount to little more than empty rhetoric.

Either way, we must continue to push for GBVF to be treated with the urgency and seriousness of a true national crisis if women and girls are tohave a real chance at a safe and dignified future.

Tegan Snyman is the Research, Campaigns and Communications Assistant at Amnesty International South Africa