Pule said ending GBVF requires collective action from both women and men
Picture: iStock
Social Development Minister Dina Pule has urged South Africans to report Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) as soon as warning signs emerge.
She added that early intervention could prevent abuse from escalating into tragedy.
Her appeal comes ahead of Women’s Month in August, with the minister calling on communities, law enforcement and social workers to work together to combat one of South Africa’s most pressing social challenges.
Report abuse before it escalates
Pule said ending GBVF requires collective action from both women and men and warned against remaining silent when abuse is suspected.
“When you see the signs of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, you must not wait until it is too late. You must immediately inform the police and social workers, who will come in to assist so that we avoid bigger challenges.
“If we don’t break the silence, we end up in very serious situations,” Pule said in an interview with the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS).
The minister said her involvement in women’s organisations while growing up exposed her to the realities faced by women, girls and elderly women, many of whom continue to experience abuse.
She said the widespread nature of GBVF had led government to prioritise the crisis, noting that President Cyril Ramaphosa declared it a national disaster.
Men urged to help prevent violence
Pule also appealed to men to take responsibility for protecting women and preventing violence.
“Men are the protectors of women, including wives, mothers and children. There is no man who was not born of a woman, and I don’t understand how any man would want to hurt women,” she said.
While Women’s Month often places GBVF under the spotlight, Pule said efforts to end violence should continue throughout the year.
She said South Africans should strive to make this year’s Women’s Month one in which fewer cases of abuse are reported, demonstrating that more men are choosing to protect women rather than harm them.
Women’s Month
South Africa commemorates Women’s Month every August in honour of the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against the apartheid government’s pass laws.
The annual commemoration celebrates the achievements of women while highlighting the challenges they continue to face, including GBVF.
Despite constitutional protections and government interventions, GBVF remains one of South Africa’s most significant social challenges, with government, civil society organisations and communities continuing efforts to prevent violence, support survivors, and hold perpetrators accountable.
