The murder of women by their intimate partners is decreasing, according to research carried out over almost two decades, but the development is far from reassuring, anti-gender-based violence organisations say.
South Africa's government has approved the implementation of three new gender-based violence laws that will help protect women and children and improve the justice system.
Three pieces of legislation that amend several key areas in the fight against gender-based violence have been welcomed by gender activists. On Friday, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law legislation, ". aimed at strengthening efforts to end gender-based violence", according to a statement by the presidency.
Despite initial promises that a national council would be set up by December to deal with gender-based violence (GBV), women’s rights groups say the government is still a long way off from fulfilling its promise. The National Strategic Plan (NSP) to stop gender-based violence, launched in March 2020 by President Cyril Ramaphosa, makes provision for the establishment of a National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. The council would ensure implementation of the plan, and was supposed to be formed within six months.