RECENT INITIATIVES IN ADDRESSING GENDER VIOLENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA

This 1997 research paper evaluates the South African Police Service's (SAPS) response to gender-based violence, highlighting systemic failures such as secondary victimisation, under-reporting, and a militarized police culture. It details the impact of the Prevention of Family Violence Act of 1993 and examines various training initiatives, including a Gauteng-based partnership with civil society and specialized centers in Port Elizabeth and Pretoria, while calling for better statistical recording of gender crimes.

• The South African Police Service (SAPS) has historically provided an inadequate response to victims of gender violence, often characterized by insensitivity, hostility, and a lack of awareness regarding legal protections. This treatment frequently results in "secondary victimisation" and a significant gap between actual instances of violence and the number of cases reported to the police.
• Official statistics on gender violence in South Africa are considered unreliable and likely underestimate the problem due to under-reporting. For example, the Johannesburg branch of People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA) estimates that only one in twenty rape cases is reported. Furthermore, the lack of specific statistical categories for domestic violence and femicide—which are often recorded generally as "aggravated assault" or "common assault"—makes it difficult to assess the true extent of these crimes.
• Children and teenagers in South Africa are reported to be two and a half times more likely to be raped than adults. Between January and May 1996, 8,038 cases of sexual abuse of girls were reported to the police, with 5,390 of those recorded as rape. Perpetrators in these cases are most often family members.
• The Prevention of Family Violence Act of 1993 allows women to interdict abusive partners, but the law is poorly implemented by the SAPS. A survey in Natal found that while 60% of station commanders were aware of the Act, only one had informed their staff of its provisions, and very few stations had the necessary interdict forms available.
• The SAPS faces significant internal challenges to reform, including a highly militarized culture that reinforces masculine values and a high rate of illiteracy among officers. It is estimated that 26,000 police officers are illiterate, many of whom were absorbed from former homelands. This culture often leads to the assumption that gender violence should only be handled by female officers, though few women are stationed in first-contact roles.
• A Gender Sensitivity Programme was launched in Gauteng in February 1996 as a partnership between the MEC of Safety and Security, the SAPS, and thirteen organisations from the Network on Violence Against Women. The pilot project aimed to train 1,800 police members through three-day workshops, though it faced challenges such as low attendance and the voluntary nature of the course.
• Specific local initiatives have shown more proactive responses to gender violence. The Ncedo Centre in Port Elizabeth (opened February 1996) provides a holistic service by sharing premises with NGOs like Rape Crisis and Lifeline. Similarly, the Sunnyside Police Station in Pretoria established a gender violence section staffed by specifically trained police women who record every instance of domestic violence and rape in detail.

APA

Jackson, L. (1997). RECENT INITIATIVES IN ADDRESSING GENDER VIOLENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper_14.pdf

Chicago

Jackson, Louise. RECENT INITIATIVES IN ADDRESSING GENDER VIOLENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA. Institute for Security Studies, 1997. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper_14.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jackson |first1=Louise |title=RECENT INITIATIVES IN ADDRESSING GENDER VIOLENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=January 1997 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper_14.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jackson1997recent, author = {Jackson, Louise}, title = {{RECENT INITIATIVES IN ADDRESSING GENDER VIOLENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {1997}, month = jan, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper_14.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }