Hurt men, hurt women: groundbreaking study reveals patterns of gender-based violence

Gender activist Advocate Brenda Madumise-Pajibo (Wise4Afrika) joins Bongani Bingwa.

Listen below.

Do men who witnessed domestic violence as children grow up to become perpetrators of gender-based violence (GBV) themselves?

The answer to the question can be found, in part, in the results of a first-of-its-kind study titled the 'South African National Gender-Based Violence Prevalence Study'.

It reveals alarming statistics on the prevalence of physical, sexual, emotional, and economic violence, as well as psychological abuse.

Over 35% of women reported experiencing physical violence.

An estimated 2.1 million women experienced sexual violence.

The first-of-its-kind study paints a bleak picture.

"It gives us a national baseline of what we have been talking about for the last 15, 20 to 25 years... It's sobering. It requires that all of us interact with it and understand what it tells us."

- Brenda Madumise - Gender activist, Wise4Afrika

The study also examined the underlying role of gender norms in driving GBV and provides new evidence and confirmation of the patterns of violence against women in South Africa.

"Now... we've got facts..."

- Brenda Madumise - Gender activist, Wise4Afrika

The study provides an understanding of the 'who', 'how' and 'why' of victimisation and perpetration in South Africa.

"When you're exposed to that as a child... you think it's normal, you think it's correct... you think it's how life should be..."

- Brenda Madumise - Gender activist, Wise4Afrika

Twenty percent of the men surveyed admitted having been perpetrators of violence in their lives.

"And when you become that, we shouldn't be surprised, because that's what you've witnessed in your formative years."

- Brenda Madumise - Gender activist, Wise4Afrika

ALSO READ: GBV at universities ‘rooted in socialisation, entitlement and toxic masculinity’

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.