IOL launches specialised Gender-Based Violence Desk to intensify coverage of South Africa’s GBV crisis

IOL has launched a dedicated Gender-Based Violence Desk to provide sustained, in-depth reporting on South Africa’s GBV crisis.

As we end Women's Month, IOL has taken the unprecedented step to launch a specialised Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Desk, dedicated to providing sustained, in-depth and impactful reporting on the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa.

The new desk will be led by two of IOL’s senior editors, Yogas Nair and Liesl van der Schyff, who will oversee specialised coverage across IOL’s national editorial network.

The establishment of the desk represents IOL’s commitment to treating gender-based violence as a critical national issue requiring sustained journalism, investigation, analysis and public engagement.

The desk will focus on a broad range of issues associated with GBV, including gender-based violence and femicide, intimate-partner violence, sexual violence, violence against children , domestic abuse , the criminal justice system, policing and prosecution, access to justice, survivor experiences, prevention initiatives, government policy and institutional accountability.

IOL CEO Viasen Soobramoney said the launch of the desk reflected the media organisation’s responsibility to use journalism as a force for greater awareness and accountability.

“Gender-based violence is one of the most serious crises facing our society. It is a national crisis that affects families, communities and future generations. As a major South African news platform, IOL has a responsibility to ensure that this issue receives the sustained attention, depth and sensitivity it deserves,” said Soobramoney.

Nair, IOL's Provincial Editor for KwaZulu-Natal, said one of its key objectives would be to ensure that GBV remained a sustained editorial priority rather than receiving attention only when particularly shocking cases dominate the news cycle.

“For too long, gender-based violence has been reported primarily through individual tragedies. While those stories are important, they are part of a much bigger picture. Behind every case are questions about prevention, accountability, policing, prosecution, social conditions and why violence continues to be normalised in parts of our society,” said Nair.

Van der Schyff, IOL Provincial Editor for the Western Cape, said ethical and responsible journalism would be central to the desk’s approach.

“There is an enormous difference between reporting on GBV and reporting GBV well. These are stories involving trauma, vulnerability and, very often, people whose lives have been permanently changed by violence.”

The GBV Desk will work with IOL’s journalists and correspondents across the country and engage with experts, researchers, civil society organisations, legal professionals, law-enforcement agencies and survivor-support organisations to strengthen the quality and depth of its reporting.