By Emily Setona
BLOEMFONTEIN — The provincial government and oversight bodies point gender-based violence and femicide GBVF surge to a deeper rising social and structural crisis that demands urgent, coordinated action.
Addressing the State of the Province on 20 February, Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae said violence against women and children remains ‘deeply disturbing’.
“Women are under attack. This scourge needs to stop,” she said, calling for the dismantling of cultural, institutional and societal practices that trap women in abusive relationships. She stressed the need for stronger protection, care services and a more effective criminal justice response.
Despite ongoing interventions, reported GBVF cases continue to rise.
The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) spokesperson Javu Baloyi said the figures must be read in context. Baloyi said the trend does not negate current efforts but exposes weak coordination and gaps in gender-responsive strategies.
“Statistics alone do not undermine interventions; they show where we must strengthen and better align them,” he said.
He added that lasting change depends on prevention, early intervention and community accountability. This includes transforming schools, advancing gender equality in cultural and religious spaces, expanding economic opportunities for women and girls, and actively involving men and boys.
“Gender equality is not a battle; it is a balance,” he explained.
The CGE said it continues community dialogues through its public education programmes and uses its constitutional mandate to hold state institutions accountable for implementing the National Strategic Plan on GBVF.
In the Free State, the commission has called for increased capacity for GBVF responders and gender focal persons, tougher action on violent crime and substance abuse, and stronger border management.
Both government and the CGE agree on one point: without confronting the social norms and structural inequalities that drive violence, rising statistics will continue to translate into shattered lives.
