The answer to violence against women is safer spaces and offender accountability

Recent discoveries of women's bodies in Ekurhuleni have heightened fears and concerns among women in the metropolitan area. While investigations are ongoing, it is premature to assume these cases are linked. Nonetheless, violence against women remains a pervasive issue in South Africa, necessitating urgent attention to women's safety in public spaces.

A recent national study found that 35.5% of South African women, aged 18 and above, have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, amounting to 7.85 million women. Additionally, South Africa records some of the highest rates of lethal violence against women globally, with an intimate-partner femicide rate five times higher than the global average in 2020/21.

In light of these alarming statistics, women are advised to take extra precautions, such as avoiding isolated areas, traveling alone or after dark, and being vigilant. However, these precautionary measures, while sensible on an individual level, cannot be deemed a sustainable solution to preventing violence against women. The concept of a "suitable target" emphasizes the importance of considering women's behavior, which often leads to victim-blaming and reinforces the notion that women are responsible for their own safety.

This perspective fails to address the root causes of violence against women and places an unreasonable burden on women to restrict their lives and access to public spaces.

To effectively address violence against women, we must shift our focus towards capable guardianship, which includes surveillance, environmental design, safer transport options, private security, community policing, and efficient reporting and response mechanisms. By doing so, we can create environments less conducive to offending and reduce opportunities for crime.

The solution to violence against women lies not in asking what women should do differently but in reducing opportunities for offense, strengthening capable guardianship, and making public spaces safer.