Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian

Gender Based Violence

latest news & developments
Big Man Syndrome: Black man with money threatens to shoot women who reject him, he is not different from the white policeman who shot men in Sharpeville for refusing to carry a pass.

Poor man with nothing but money

Following a shocking incident where a wealthy man threatened women at a Sandton restaurant after being rejected, Sandile Memela examines the toxic intersection of instant wealth,…

The killing of women is not a series of unconnected tragedies in South Africa

The viral confrontation in a Sandton restaurant powder room is not an isolated incident. Research reveals how deep-seated entitlement, misogyny, and systemic impunity underpin…

Global war on women through SA's eyes

With South Africa facing soaring femicide rates, the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York highlights the urgent need to address the global crisis and backlash against women's…

Ekurhuleni killings: ‘The onus cannot shift to women to keep themselves safe’

Following the discovery of nine women’s bodies in Ekurhuleni, gender-based violence advocates demand structural state action and systemic justice rather than placing the burden…

Beyond ‘Be Careful': Technology’s Place in Women’s Safety

Following tragic murders in Ekurhuleni, this analysis explores why society must stop restricting women's movements and instead leverage systemic reform alongside wearable…

To stop violent men, look at the boys they were

To end South Africa's crisis of violence against women, research shows we must look at the boy before the violent man and intervene where childhood trauma, poverty, and…

Justice ministry stands by its opposition to constitutional challenge to Sexual Offences Act

When fear shrinks women’s world

The murder of runner Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo highlights how pervasive fear forces women to constantly calculate safety, shrinking their access to public spaces, exercise,…

Nine dead women later and we’re still managing symptoms

Nine women have been found dead in Ekurhuleni, yet political responses remain trapped in task teams and summits. It is time to dismantle the deeper structural systems fuelling…

Murdered: Elizabeth "Tsontso" Moselakgomo was the glue that held her family together.

Why did it take ‘Tsontso’ to make Ekurhuleni’s women's bodies matter?

The discovery of multiple murdered women in Ekurhuleni highlights the stark inequalities and systemic flaws in how South African authorities and media respond to femicide and…

Gracious Nkomo finally has a name

The family of 28-year-old Gracious Nkomo has positively identified her body as Gauteng police continue investigating the deaths of nine women discovered across Ekurhuleni.

Murdered: Elizabeth "Tsontso" Moselakgomo was the glue that held her family together.

Nine lives snuffed as fears escalate

As police investigate the deaths of nine women across Ekurhuleni, grieving families and activists call for decisive state action and systemic changes to curb the ongoing femicide…

Second pandemic: Almost a year since GBVF was declared a national disaster, government has failed to implement relevant legislation and hold perpetrators accountable. Photo: ANCYL

Ekurhuleni murders expose GBVF gaps

The discovery of nine dead women in Ekurhuleni has exposed critical failures in South Africa's response to gender-based violence and femicide, with advocates warning that…

The ghost town women dread to tread

A nostalgic look back at growing up between Tembisa and Kempton Park turns into a sobering reflection on urban decay, fear, and the heartbreaking murders of nine women in…

Body count: Within two months, four bodies of deceased women had been found in Kempton Park yet the police informed the public only after Elizabeth "Tsontso" Moselakgomo's disappearance on Sunday, 13 September. Since then, a total of nine women's bodies have been discovered. Photo: Supplied

What has happened to my once-safe hometown?

Following the tragic murder of Elizabeth 'Tsontso' Moselakgomo and the discovery of nine bodies across Ekurhuleni, a Kempton Park resident reflects on the terrifying reality of…

Ripple effect: The murders in Ekurhuleni were a symptom of the corruption and lack of service delivery in the city, political parties say. Photos: Supplied

Women pay for leadership failures

Political leaders point to corrupt policing, service delivery failures, and a breakdown in municipal leadership as key drivers behind the rising number of unsolved murders and…