Situational Analysis of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in South Africa

Data indicates that violence against women and girls is escalating and that the most prevalent form of violence is perpetrated by current or former husbands or intimate partners. Among the many documents that draw attention to the alarming proportions reached by this phenomenon in all its different manifestations is the 2013 United Nations General Assembly resolution where concern was specifically expressed over the fact “that the global prevalence of different manifestations of the gender-related killing of women and girls is reaching alarming proportions …” This chapter analyzes the statistics for some of the most prevalent types of crime perpetrated against women both globally and in South Africa. This is intended to provide an assessment of the trends in, and extent of victimization of women. This type of data is critical to providing a better understanding of the nature, magnitude, severity, and frequency of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) within the South African context. Accordingly, the analysis and reporting on GBVF data will allow for a better understanding of service demand, including gaps, and policy and program implementation and outcomes. The chapter further provides an analysis of killings perpetrated within the family sphere and explores the scale of intimate partner/family-related killings of women and girls. The goal is to ultimately inform GBVF prevention, improve services for survivors and increase the accountability of perpetrators.