Organising against Gender Violence in South Africa

South Africa continues to top international rankings of incidence of reported rape and sexual violence. Rooted in the patriarchies of oppression found in colonialism, apartheid and the Cold War, these deeply ingrained patterns of sexual violence did not end with the transition to democracy. Many fear the level of gender-based violence may be increasing because of a backlash against the constitutionally-enforced gender equality of South African women. In response, one of the most viable parts of the women's movement in South Africa is the movement to end violence against women. Organisations in this sector have become the primary contract agents for the government, yet many women's groups remain thwarted by the complexities of their new bureaucratic relationship with the government institutions they used to oppose during apartheid. This article examines how organisations concerned with violence against women are redefining their mission, securing effective leadership and utilising new methods of activism. Organisations are fighting to maintain their autonomy rather than become ‘technocratic handmaidens’ for the new government; they are attempting to engage masculinities within ‘feminist’ frameworks, and they are witnessing the growing institutionalisation and NGO-isation of the South African women's movement.