A twenty-year review of policy landscape for gender-based violence in South Africa

The struggle for liberation, equity and equality in South Africa has come a long way to the point where South Africa has celebrated twenty years of democracy in 2014. Substantive advancements have been made towards a constitutional framework and domestic policy that is transformational, progressive and empowering. Yet, South Africa still faces inordinately high levels of gender-based violence, such that the statistics often quoted are considered 'non statistics' in that under-reporting is considered so high that statistical measures are but broad indicators of the pattern of gender based violence and not seen as definitive. In response to the prevalence of gender-based violence, both government and civil society have responded in various ways. This article seeks to trace the policy contours for addressing gender-based violence in this young democracy and submits that South Africans and supportive partners should address the underlying factors that create violent crimes in South Africa in a sincere manner.