South Africa’s Women’s Month: A time for reflection on GBV

In South Africa, Women's Month is an occasion for reflection on gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide, with activists questioning the merits of celebrating when women continue to face these challenges. Abahlali baseMjondolo, a group advocating for impoverished women, argues that the month should be a time of mourning rather than celebration, as women in South Africa remain at risk of violence, particularly those living in informal settlements.

These women face issues including inadequate housing, basic services, and safety, often having to walk to communal facilities after dark. Despite promises of urgency from the government when GBVF was declared a National Disaster in December 2025, activists like Women For Change founder Sabrina Walter claim that meaningful action has not been taken.

There has been no significant public update on implemented measures, and even a national GBV conference, expected to be opened by the Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, saw the minister fail to appear. The organization also recalls women activists who have been killed while fighting for land, housing, justice, and dignity, including 17-year-old Nqobile Nzuza, who was killed by a police officer during a protest in 2013, and Thuli Ndlovu, an Abahlali leader assassinated in 2014.

Babita Deokaran, a whistleblower who exposed corruption in the Gauteng Department of Health, was also killed in 2021. Walter emphasizes the urgent need for action, calling for secure access to land and decent housing, basic services, an end to political killings and intimidation, stronger action against GBV, decent work, healthcare, education, reproductive healthcare, a guaranteed income for unpaid care work, and accountability for the killings of women activists.