Frequently Asked Questions

What is the National Strategic Plan on Gender Based Violence and Femicide?

The NSP on GBVF is South Africa’s official plan to end gender-based violence and femicide.

 Launched in 2020 after the 2018 Presidential Summit on GBVF, it sets out a comprehensive, multi-sectoral strategy focused on:

• Prevention

• Justice and accountability

• Care and support for survivors

• Strengthening community responses

• Building sustainable leadership at all levels of society
  
  

It was developed with survivors, civil society, and activists — and is meant to drive real, measurable change in how South Africa responds to the GBVF crisis.

The National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NSP GBVF) is structured around six key pillars. Each pillar represents a critical area of intervention needed to end GBVF in South Africa.

 Pillar 1: Accountability, Coordination, and Leadership

• Ensure effective leadership and coordination at all levels.

• Establish clear accountability mechanisms across government and society.

• Drive high-level political leadership, especially from the Presidency.
  
  

Pillar 2: Prevention and Rebuilding Social Cohesion

• Address social norms that perpetuate violence and inequality.

• Focus on early intervention, education, and community mobilisation.

• Promote positive masculinity and gender equality.
  
  

 Pillar 3: Justice, Safety, and Protection

• Strengthen the criminal justice system’s response to GBVF.

• Ensure survivor-centered approaches in policing, courts, and prosecution.

• Improve laws and policies for better protection and access to justice.
  
  

Pillar 4: Response, Care, Support, and Healing

• Ensure accessible, quality support services for survivors (e.g., shelters, trauma counselling).

• Build a coordinated, empathetic, survivor-centred response across sectors.

• Promote community-based healing and restoration initiatives.
  
  

Pillar 5: Economic Power

• Empower women and survivors economically to reduce vulnerability to violence.

• Improve access to economic opportunities, training, and financial resources.

• Integrate GBVF-related needs into economic policies and programs.
  
  

 Pillar 6: Research and Information Management

• Collect and analyse data on GBVF for evidence-based action.

• Build strong monitoring and evaluation systems.

• Promote transparency and data sharing between sectors.
  
  

Why is Pillar one of the National Strategic Plan so Critical?

Pillar One of the NSP on GBVF is Accountability, Coordination, and Leadership. It is the foundation upon which the entire National Strategic Plan is built. Without fully implementing the resolutions under Pillar One, every other pillar — from prevention to response, care, support, and economic empowerment — will be severely weakened. 

Here's why: 

• Accountability is Central to Systemic Change:
  GBVF is rooted in deep systemic failures. If there are no effective mechanisms to hold institutions, political leaders, government departments, and service providers accountable for their role in addressing or perpetuating GBVF, the NSP will remain a paper exercise. Accountability frameworks are what transform plans into real, measurable change.
  
  

• Strong, Independent Leadership is Essential:
  The NSP envisions political leadership — including from the highest office (the Presidency) — to champion the fight against GBVF. Without strong, high-level commitment and visible leadership, GBVF initiatives get deprioritized, underfunded, and neglected across all levels of government.
  
  

• Effective Coordination Across Sectors is Critical:
  The NSP depends on a multi-sectoral, coordinated response involving government, civil society, business, and communities. If Pillar One’s goal of building an independent, well-resourced National Council on GBVF is not realized, efforts will remain fragmented, duplicated, or inconsistent. Coordination is what connects prevention, response, and support efforts into a coherent national strategy.
  
  

• Funding and Resource Allocation Rests on Pillar One Mechanisms:
  One of the biggest risks is the lack of a funding framework. Pillar One addresses the need for proper budgeting, resourcing, and financial oversight. If this is not locked in through leadership structures and coordination mechanisms, the rest of the pillars — like providing survivor support services or community mobilization — will collapse under financial strain.
  
  

• Monitoring and Evaluation Depend on Pillar One Structures:
  If there are no structures in place to monitor progress, track implementation, and course-correct when needed, there is no way to know if interventions are working. Pillar One builds the systems for accountability and reporting that are essential to adapt and strengthen interventions under the other pillars.
  
  

In short:

Pillar One is the "engine room" of the NSP. Without a fully functioning National Council, without strong political leadership, without clear accountability structures, and without proper coordination across sectors, the ambitious goals of the NSP cannot be achieved.
The failure to realize Pillar One resolutions is the failure of the NSP itself.

What is the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide?

The Council on GBVF is intended to be the central body that coordinates South Africa’s fight against GBVF.
It is supposed to:

• Oversee the implementation of the NSP GBVF

• Bring together government, civil society, the private sector, and communities

• Monitor progress

• Hold all sectors accountable for delivering results

The Council was meant to embody a new era of shared leadership between government and civil society — ensuring that survivors and grassroots voices stay at the heart of the fight against GBVF.

What is the National Council on Gender Based Violence and Femicide Act?

The Council on GBVF Act (Act No. 18 of 2023) is the law that formally establishes the Council as a statutory body.
It sets out how the Council will be structured, funded, and how it will operate.

However, the Act falls short in critical ways:

• It reduces civil society's power and representation.

• It fails to guarantee sustainable funding for the NSP GBVF.

• It weakens oversight by political leaders, including the Presidency.

• It centralizes decision-making within government, rather than keeping it survivor- and community-led.
  
  

This is why we are campaigning for urgent amendments to the Act — to ensure that the Council is truly fit for purpose and capable of driving the systemic change South Africa needs.

What are we demanding be changed in the NCGBVF Act? 

We are calling for urgent amendments to the Act to fix its critical shortcomings.
We demand:

• A clear and binding funding framework to support the NSP GBVF

• Fair and strong representation of civil society and private sector actors — at least 51% combined

• Real accountability measures that tie commitments to government performance and budgets

• Political leadership directly from the Presidency, not watered-down oversight

• Full integration of provincial and local government structures, not just national-level action

• An independent secretariat, selected by the Council itself — not appointed by a government department
  
  

Without these changes, the Council will fail to meet the needs of those it was created to serve — and the lives of millions of South Africans will remain at risk

How can I support the #NotFitForPurpose campaign? 

🚀 Get involved!

• 🖊️ Sign our petition
  
  

• 📣 Share our campaign materials
  
  

• 🧡 Mobilize your community
  
  

• 📨 Engage your political representatives
  
  

👉 Together, we can build a Council that is truly fit for purpose.