MHM Magazine

Background: South Africa remains a society profoundly marked by violence and continues to grapple with the enduring effects of decades of institutionalised racism, sexism, exclusion, structural violence, and other factors that have persistently undermined human development and positive social cohesion. The country contends with some of the globe’s highest homicide data and some suggest the country has one of the highest rates of GBV, encompassing intimate femicide, rape, and intimate partner violence (IPV). The President of South Africa acknowledged that GBV is a severe socio-economic problem, which is fundamentally rooted in unequal power dynamics between women and men. Violence against women has been acknowledged as a ‘national crisis’ and a ‘second pandemic’ that is increasingly recognised not just as a national issue but also as serious human rights abuse and an increasingly important psychosocial and public health concern that affects all sectors of society. GBV in the country transcends cultural, socio- economic, ethnic, and other socio- demographic diversities Accurately determining the prevalence and incidence of GBV in all its forms is challenging. The country has depended on police data and statistics that have been derived mostly from provincial GBV surveys, GBV studies within selected populations, and data from other national surveys that were not designed for GBV, such as the Victims of Crime, Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey, the South African Demographic Health Survey (SADHS), and the South African National HIV Prevalence, Incidence, Behaviour, and Communication Survey (SABSSM). Police data is known for pervasive under-reporting and inadequate documentation of cases. Contributing factors include the lack of an integrated national surveillance system, stigma, fear of retaliation, and lack of trust in authorities tasked to respond to GBV. Despite these challenges, over the past decade, there has been a concerted effort by grassroots and international civil society organisations, international experts, researchers, academics, and governments, which has led to a significant transformation in public awareness of GBV. This activism has further led to advocacy for the measurement of GBV using representative population-based samples and internationally recognised methodologies and instruments. To this end, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and its collaborators were tasked with undertaking a study aimed at assessing the prevalence, extent and nature of GBV and its impact (consequences) across the country. The Study This report presents the findings of the first ‘fit-for-purpose’ national study on the prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV) in all nine provinces of South Africa. It outlines the prevalence of physical, sexual, emotional, and economic violence, and psychological abuse such as controlling behaviours among youth and adults 18 years and older. The study also examines the perpetration of violence by men against their female partners and the underlying role of gender norms in driving GBV. The results provide new evidence and confirmation of the patterns of violence against women in the country. The study findings contribute to understanding the life course of victimisation and perpetration in South Africa. It also serves as a vital source of information for government, researchers, academics, civil society, developmental partners, policy makers, and practitioners. The study represents a step forward and provides empirical evidence about GBV in South Africa. The data collected are an important source for reporting and tracking progress in addressing GBV in South Africa, as outlined in the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on Gender- Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF). The study allows the country to report prevalence estimates that are comparable to other countries that have adopted the World Health Organization (WHO) globally recognised approach for measuring GBV. The full executive summary is available on the HSRC Website https://hsrc.ac.za/ References available on request. Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) THE FIRST SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE STUDY 2022: A BASELINE SURVEY ON VICTIMISATION AND PERPETRATION MHM | 2024 | Volume 11 | Issue 6 | THE FIRST SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE STUDY, 2022: A Baseline Survey on Victimisation and Perpetration MHM Issue 6 | 2024 | MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS | 29 MHM