Why Focus on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide

The attainment of gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable country and world. The alarmingly high rates of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) makes being a woman in South Africa more dangerous than being in some of the world’s war-torn areas. This situation does not bode well for the achievement of equality, non-discrimination, and the various sustainable development goals (SDGs). This chapter consequently analyzes why it is important for a country like South Africa to focus on the elimination of GBVF. By making specific reference to the 2030 SDG Agenda, it will highlight how the Agenda presents a potentially transformative framework for urgent change, not only in SA, but throughout the world. Furthermore, GBVF also exacts an economic cost to countries in terms of economic development, prevention, response, and opportunity costs. A further aim of this chapter is to highlight the economic costs associated with GBV thereby providing strong arguments for why preventing and responding to such violence should be a priority for governments, donors, and the private sector. The importance of this chapter lies in the assertion that by measuring the actual economic costs associated with GBVF and the consequences thereof, it will provide an incentive for immediate action and for policymakers to be better informed about the urgency for prioritization of resource allocations across various social and economic priorities.