The recent discovery of women's bodies across Ekurhuleni, South Africa, has once again brought the country's gender-based violence crisis to the forefront. This crisis has become a harsh reality that women in South Africa are not merely unsafe in exceptional circumstances, but fear has become woven into the ordinary routines of their lives. Behind every victim is a human being, a daughter, mother, sister, friend, colleague, or student, each with a name, dreams, and a future.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africans to stand up for women's rights, but this call must become more than just another appeal made after a tragedy. The country has issued statements, marched, held vigils, and repeatedly declared that enough is enough, yet women continue to die. As a society, South Africans must confront the cultures that enable violence, strengthen systems of accountability, and turn concern into sustained action.
The burden of preventing violence is often placed on those most likely to experience it, rather than on the perpetrators and the institutions responsible for safety and justice. Women's freedom cannot depend on how successfully they anticipate male violence. Instead, safety advice must be complemented by changing the conditions that allow violence to occur and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.
Men must play a role in confronting and challenging the attitudes that enable violence. Male solidarity must never become solidarity with harmful behavior. Men must challenge other men in various settings, including change rooms, boardrooms, university residences, families, social gatherings, and online groups. Sports stars and other public figures can help shape how boys and young men understand courage, strength, respect, and masculinity.
Some have argued that more men than women are murdered in South Africa, and while it is true that men make up the majority of murder victims, this cannot become a contest over who suffers more. Acknowledging the gendered nature of violence against women does not suggest that murdered men matter less. Equally, the number of men killed does not erase the sexual violence, intimate partner violence, coercion, and pervasive fear disproportionately experienced by women.
Universities, in particular, have a critical role to play in addressing gender-based violence. These institutions are not merely places where students come to study; they are communities where young people form relationships, exercise leadership, develop identities, and learn what it means to live with others. Universities must confront the cultures that enable violence, strengthen systems of accountability, and turn concern into sustained action.
Having a policy is not enough; the test of an institution is whether a student who experiences harm knows where to go, is believed when they seek help, receives appropriate support, understands what will happen next, and sees the institution act within a reasonable and transparent timeframe. Student Affairs, gender offices, counseling services, residence teams, campus protection services, and student leadership structures must work together to address this crisis.
Key points
- The discovery of women's bodies across Ekurhuleni has highlighted the need for sustained action to address South Africa's gender-based violence crisis.
- Men must play a role in confronting and challenging the attitudes that enable violence.
- Universities have a critical role to play in addressing gender-based violence.
