South Africa: Preventing Gender-Based Violence Means Protecting Those Most At Risk

What the report says

An Institute for Security Studies analysis published by AllAfrica says South Africa’s response to gender-based violence must better protect people most at risk, especially women with disabilities and children exposed to abuse. The piece, dated 30 October 2026 and written by Nompumelelo Zungu and Chandré Gould, argues that prevention efforts need to move beyond broad safety advice and address unequal exposure to violence and barriers to help.

The article points to a reported rape case in Khayelitsha involving a 43-year-old woman who uses a wheelchair and says the incident highlights how vulnerable people may be unable to follow common “stay safe” guidance. It also stresses that children in the home can be direct victims of trauma when they witness violence. In the case described, the woman’s five-year-old son was present during the alleged attack.

Drawing on South African and regional research, the analysis says women with disabilities face substantially higher risks of sexual and intimate partner violence than women without disabilities, and that many children across sub-Saharan Africa witness domestic or partner violence. It says exposure to abuse in childhood can be linked to later victimisation or perpetration, though it does not suggest this is inevitable.

The authors argue that ending gender-based violence requires coordinated action from police, health and social services, civil society and communities. They call for well-resourced prevention strategies, support for child witnesses, and interventions aimed at adolescent boys and young men to challenge harmful patterns that can pass violence from one generation to the next.