DSD INTENSIFIES NATIONAL GBVF RESPONSE THROUGH COMMUNITY ACTION

By Thandeka Stampu

• Department of Social Development (DSD) strengthens national Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) response following the declaration of GBVF as a national crisis and expands community-based interventions under Pillar 4 of the NSP.
• Traditional leaders receive national capacity-building training to address substance abuse and support early intervention in violence-prone communities.
• DSD advances disability support and community dialogue efforts, including the handover of the Zethembe Disability Centre and ongoing 16 Days engagement activities in Limpopo.

The Department of Social Development (DSD) has intensified its 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children and Festive Season Safety Campaign following the government’s declaration of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) as a national crisis.

As the lead department for Pillar 4 of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on GBVF, which focuses on Response, Care, Support and Healing, DSD is mandated to ensure that survivors receive comprehensive psychosocial support, access to shelters, trauma counselling, and long-term healing interventions. This mandate has compelled the department to expand its national footprint, strengthen community interventions and heighten awareness efforts during this year’s campaign.

GBVF Statistics Reinforce the Need for Urgent Action

The intensified national response is guided by findings from The First South African National Gender-Based Violence Study: A Baseline Survey on Victimisation and Perpetration (2022), conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in collaboration with the University of Cape Town. The study confirms the severity of the national crisis. It reported that 33.1% of women aged 18 and older (an estimated 7.3 million) have experienced physical violence, while 9.8% (over 2.1 million women) have survived sexual violence. Combined, 35.5% of women, (nearly 7.8 million), have endured physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.

In the past 12 months alone, 1.3 million women experienced physical violence, while over 430,000 reported sexual violence. The study also reveals high rates of emotional, psychological and economic abuse, with more than half of women reporting controlling behaviours within relationships. These statistics reinforce GBVF as a national crisis requiring rapid, coordinated and community-based intervention.

Strengthening Communities: Training Traditional Leaders

From 8–12 December 2025, DSD is hosting a national anti-substance abuse capacity-building programme for Traditional Leaders. With substance misuse often linked to violent behaviour, the department aims to strengthen the ability of traditional leaders, who are central figures in communities, to detect early warning signs, support affected families and refer cases to social service professionals.

The departmental spokesperson, Ms Sandy Godlwana, emphasised: “GBV has been declared a national crisis, and because we lead Pillar 4 of the NSP, we have a responsibility to be present where communities live. Empowering traditional leaders strengthens the first line of defence against substance abuse and violence.”

16 Days Dialogue in Lebowakgomo

Running parallel to the training programme, DSD is facilitating 16 Days of Activism community engagement in Lebowakgomo, Limpopo, bringing together community members, youth, women’s groups, men’s forums and stakeholders to confront harmful social norms, encourage reporting and strengthen prevention strategies at household and community levels.

Handover of Zethembe Disability Centre

In KwaZulu-Natal, DSD is handing over the Zethembe Disability Centre in Inanda, which expands access to specialised care, daily support and protection for persons with disabilities, one of the groups identified in the HSRC–UCT study as facing heightened vulnerability to abuse.

A National Effort to Heal and Protect

These interventions form part of DSD’s broader strategy to expand psychosocial support, provide crisis response services and strengthen community resilience, key pillars of its mandate under Pillar 4 of the NSP.

Ms Godlwana added: “Every outreach, training session and activation is part of a national effort to respond, care, support and heal survivors. We must take services to the people, especially in high-risk communities.”

DSD continues to call on communities, civil society, traditional structures and government partners to work together to end GBVF and build safer homes.

Gender-Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC): 0800 428 428 — 24/7 support