“This cannot be accepted as a normal part of life in South Africa.”– President Cyril Ramaphosa, Address to the Nation on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, 29 September 2026

The recent discovery of the bodies of several women in Ekurhuleni has again forcefully reminded South Africans to confront the persistent reality of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). The response has been one of shock, sadness and anger. However, public outrage cannot be temporary. These cases must reinforce the urgent need for the long-overdue action required to prevent further violence and save lives.

Violence against women does not begin when it becomes headline news, and it does not disappear when public attention moves elsewhere. Much of it occurs within homes, intimate relationships and communities. The challenge is to identify and prevent this violence before it escalates.

Too often, attention turns to what women should have done differently. Why was she there? Why was she alone? Why did she stay? Even ordinary interactions become situations that women feel compelled to manage. A polite smile should never leave a woman wondering whether it might be misinterpreted and used to excuse aggression.

The way in which women are spoken about also matters. Jokes that demean women or suggest that men are entitled to women’s attention or obedience can shape harmful attitudes and behaviour. Boys may absorb these messages as part of masculinity, while girls may learn what they are expected to tolerate. Families can provide protection, but they can also conceal violence and unequal power. At the same time, families are the first environment in which children learn about respect, consent and relationships.

South Africa’s Constitution protects all individual’s equality, dignity, bodily and psychological integrity, and freedom from violence. Yet persistent GBVF means many women cannot fully enjoy these rights in everyday life. Equality is weakened when women carry the excessive burden of protecting themselves, and dignity is undermined when fear restricts their choices and freedom of movement. Men and boys must be part of these discussions and contribute to the change required. Prevention cannot rest mainly on teaching women how to avoid danger. To create lasting change, men and boys must be actively engaged in challenging and transforming harmful ideas and cultural norms regarding masculinity, entitlement, dominance and control and promoting healthy relationships.

Accountability is critical. Effective investigation, prosecution and the imposition of appropriate consequences under the law matter not only in individual cases, but also for the message they send to society. Impunity risks communicating that violence can occur without consequence. True justice must also move beyond conviction. Healthcare, counselling, legal assistance, protection and practical support throughout the justice process and beyond are essential for survivors.

These responsibilities are reflected in South Africa’s National Strategic Plan on GBVF (NSP), which is structured around six pillars: accountability and leadership, prevention, justice and protection, survivor support and healing, economic power, and research and information. But the NSP needs to be implemented, otherwise, it remains words on paper.

The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) recognises that addressing GBVF requires sustained, evidence-informed and multidisciplinary engagement. As the country’s national science academy, ASSAf is committed to using its convening and science-advisory role to bring together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, civil society and other stakeholders to examine the underlying drivers of GBVF and the effectiveness of responses to it. Through dialogue, research-informed engagement and its forthcoming GBVF webinar series, beginning on 15 October 2026, ASSAf seeks to contribute to a stronger evidence base for prevention, accountability, survivor support and longer-term societal change.

The recent killing of women in Ekurhuleni has brought renewed attention to femicide and requires thorough investigation, accountability and remembrance. But these cases are not isolated from the wider reality of GBVF in South Africa. Violence against women is not confined to a particular case, place or moment in time. Such violence occurred yesterday, continues today, and, without sustained action, will continue tomorrow, in South Africa and across the world. The cases that come to public attention represent only part of a much wider and continuing reality, as many cases of GBVF take place beyond public view. The need for action is therefore not about preventing the next headline. It is about confronting the violence that is already taking place and building a society in which women and girls can live with safety, dignity and freedom.