As August celebrates Women’s Month nationwide, thousands of women still experience gender-based violence (GBV) and rape daily. Various organisations have called for government to be more proactive in the fight against GBV.
Action Society, a public benefit organisation (PBO), aims to advocate for policy changes and reform within the justice system. Spokesperson, Juanita du Preez, referred to the SAPS crime statistics between 1 October and 31 December 2024, as a reference to the magnitude of violence against women nationwide. The statistics revealed that 11,803 women were raped, with 131 daily and 3,934 monthly. It further revealed that 16,023 women were assaulted – 174 daily and 5,341 monthly. “This isn’t just GBV, it is a sustained, systematic assault on women. When a nation’s women are attacked at this scale, it stops being ‘crime’—it becomes terror.”
Du Preez said that during this Women’s Month, violence against women needs to be declared as a national disaster, and there needs to be urgent investment in public-private partnerships to strengthen investigative and forensic capacity. “There needs to be expansion and permanent legislation of Sexual Offences Courts in every district, and enforcement of mandatory minimum sentences, with closure of legal loopholes. We cannot simply honour women with words, we must defend their right to safety and dignity with decisive action. Silence protects the predator, not the victim.”
Phoenix Police Community Forum (CPF) public relations officer, Val Pillay, said that the CPF witnesses firsthand the impact of GBV. “These statistics are not just numbers—they represent our mothers, daughters, sisters, and neighbours whose lives are forever changed or lost. While we call on government to act decisively, we also urge every community to stand together.”
“Prevention starts where we live. Reporting abuse, protecting survivors, supporting local safe houses, and holding our police and justice system accountable is a responsibility we all share. We cannot allow fear to become normal. Every violent act against a woman is an attack on the fabric of our society.”
Pillay said they join Action Society in demanding that violence against women be treated as the national disaster it is. She added there also needs to be a reminder for every South African that safety is built together—on the streets, in homes, and in hearts.
