Violence against women in South Africa: A betrayal of our new democracy and a violation of women’s human rights

South Africa has amongst the highest levels of domestic violence and rape of any country in the world. Research conducted by the Medical Research Council in 2004 shows that every six hours, a woman is killed by her intimate partner. This is the highest rate recorded anywhere in the world.

Even though domestic and sexual violence are so widespread, arrest and conviction rates for perpetrators are amongst the worst in the world. In South Africa, only 10% of rapes are actually reported and less than 10% of reported rapes lead to conviction.

This violence and the unequal power it reflects between men and women is one of the root causes of the rapid spread of HIV in South Africa. Almost onethird of sexually experienced women (31%) reported that they did not want to have their first sexual encounter and that they were coerced into sex. As a result, young women in South Africa are much more likely to be infected than men and make up 77% of the 10% of South African youth between the ages of 15 and 24 who are infected with HIV/AIDS.

These levels of violence are a threat to our new democracy and undermine our ability to enjoy the rights enshrined in our widely respected Constitution, especially Section 12, subsection 2 of the Bill of Rights which makes clear that “Everyone has the right to bodily and psychological integrity, which includes the right (a) to make decisions concerning reproduction; and (b) to security in and control over their body”.

Men and violence

Undeniably, it is men who commit the majority of all acts of domestic and sexual violence. However, many men and boys are strongly opposed to this violence and feel that it has no place in a new democratic South Africa. They recognise that it is a fundamental violation of women’s human rights. Men are, of course, negatively affected by domestic violence and rape as well. Boys who live in homes where their fathers abuse their mothers are often terrified by their fathers and the violence they commit; as a result they can experience problems with depression, anxiety and aggression that interfere with their ability to pay attention at school. Similarly, all men are affected when women they care about are raped or assaulted.

Men’s violence against women does not occur because men lose their temper or because they have no impulse control. Men who use violence do so because they equate manhood with aggression, dominance over women and with sexual conquest. Often they are afraid that they will be viewed as less than a “real” man if they apologise, compromise or share power. So instead of finding ways to resolve conflict, they resort to violence.

These definitions of manhood are a recipe for disaster. They lead to high levels of violence against women and they also contribute to extremely high levels of men’s violence against other men. South Africa’s National Injury Mortality Surveillance System tells us that the rate at which South African men kill each other is amongst the highest in the world.

What can men and boys do to prevent violence against women and promote gender equality?

Our research tells us that although many men are deeply concerned about our sky-high rates of violence, they often do not know what to do about it. Our research also tells us that many men are beginning to live more gender equitable lives with their partners and with their families. As gender roles continue to change in South Africa, a growing number of men are realising that relationships based on equality and mutual respect are far more satisfying than those based on fear and domination.

The One Man Can Campaign is intended to support men to act on their convictions that violence against women is wrong and must be stopped. The action sheets and materials provided here will help men to take action in their own lives and in their communities to promote healthy relationships based on a commitment to gender equality and to supporting women to achieve their rights to health, happiness and dignity.