7.3 million women have experienced physical violence, says Chikunga

The Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, says urgent action is needed to tackle South Africa’s GBVF crisis.

At least 7.3 million South African women aged 18 and older have experienced physical violence during their lifetime, according to the Human Sciences Research Council’s first national Gender-Based Violence and Femicide prevalence study.

The figures were revealed by the Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, on Monday as the newly established National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide held its inaugural meeting in Pretoria.

According to Chikunga, 30 736 of the 50 511 cases recorded by the South African Police Service during the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year resulted in arrests or referrals to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

The figures underscore the scale of the crisis confronting the newly operationalised council, which has been established to co-ordinate and strengthen the country’s response to GBVF.

“These are not just statistics. These are South African women, daughters, sisters and girl children. Above all, they are South African citizens whose constitutional rights have been violated,” Chikunga said.

Its responsibilities include monitoring the implementation of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, advising government on policy and legislative reforms, facilitating co-operation between sectors, monitoring progress against national targets, and strengthening prevention and survivor-centred interventions.

Chikunga said the council’s establishment marked the beginning of a long-overdue process to turn the country’s commitments on GBVF into co-ordinated action.

“Our inaugural meeting today is mandated by the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Act 9 of 2024. By convening this morning, we have effectively set the long overdue ball rolling,” she said.

The latest police figures come as South Africa grapples with evidence showing the widespread prevalence of violence against women.

Chikunga cited the Human Sciences Research Council’s first South African National GBVF Prevalence Study, which found that approximately 7.3 million women aged 18 and older had experienced physical violence during their lifetime.

More than 2.15 million women had experienced sexual violence, while approximately 3.2 million reported experiencing physical intimate partner violence during their lifetime.

The study also found that women with disabilities face a particularly high risk of sexual violence, with the prevalence of sexual violence by a lifetime partner recorded at 14.6%, compared with 7.2% among women without disabilities.

One of the council’s immediate priorities will be determining the resources required to address GBVF nationally.