Transforming Gendered Violence Through Community-Based Interventions: Afrocentric Perspectives on African Masculinities, Femininities, Rituals, and Intergenerational Trauma in South Africa

African masculinities and femininities have historically been constructed through kingship systems, communal responsibilities and culturally embedded social organisation. Colonial and missionary encounters disrupted these formations, contributing to contemporary gender-based violence (GBV), adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and intergenerational trauma in South Africa. This scoping review synthesised evidence on community-based interventions addressing GBV and ACEs through Afrocentric, culturally grounded approaches. Guided by Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, literature published between 1998 and 2026 was systematically reviewed and thematically analysed. Six themes emerged: genealogies of African masculinities and femininities; ritual, culture, and the transmission of gender norms; strengthening families and kinship systems; colonial legacies and contemporary gender relations; Ubuntu, community ownership and collective healing; and community-based interventions as pathways for gender transformation. Interventions were most effective when they engaged culturally embedded understandings of masculinity, femininity, kinship and community responsibility rather than relying solely on individual approaches. A genealogical analysis reveals that contemporary gender norms are shaped by the interaction of pre-colonial traditions, colonial reconfigurations and post-colonial adaptations. Ritual practices, community memory and indigenous philosophies such as Ubuntu remain important resources for challenging harmful gender norms and supporting collective healing. The review demonstrates how community-based interventions may transform gender relations by engaging with historical and cultural genealogies of identity, authority, belonging, and social reproduction.