Preventing gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa must begin within schools, experts and survivors emphasise, highlighting the need for comprehensive, whole-school approaches that educate learners, train teachers, and engage caregivers. The Department of Basic Education defines school-related GBV prevention as including fostering safe and inclusive environments, empowering learners, providing educator training, and establishing confidential reporting systems.
GBV survivor and advocate Debi Steven told eNCA on 29 September 2026, “We cannot deal with gender-based violence after women’s bodies are found. We’ve got to have a whole school’s approach.” She urged that prevention efforts address all children, not only boys and men, and start as early as primary school with lessons on healthy relationships and boundaries.
Research supports this focus on schools as critical sites for intervention. A 2018 cluster randomised trial of the Skhokho intervention, which involved learners and their families, showed no statistically significant reduction in primary violence outcomes but improved several secondary indicators suggesting a generally beneficial impact. The study authors noted that “the intervention warrants further research.” Similarly, a self-defence programme trialled in Gqeberha did not significantly reduce sexual violence exposure but increased self-defence knowledge and encouraged awareness and disclosure.
A broader 2025 synthesis of school GBV intervention research found effective programmes consistently involve peers, teachers, and the wider community through whole-school strategies, which can reduce GBV-related harms. The Department of Basic Education’s ongoing work further integrates prevention into curricula, teacher development, co-curricular activities, and care and support services.
Despite this progress, South African schools continue to face alarming levels of GBV. A systematic review covering sub-Saharan Africa reported prevalence rates of school-related GBV ranging from 46.6% to 75%, influenced by factors across school, family, and societal contexts. This underlines the urgency of robust and sustained prevention efforts grounded in the educational environment.
Community voices echo the call for early, comprehensive action. Steven stressed the importance of involving learners fully to spark wider societal change, including engagement from sectors like faith organisations. However, not all claims about the effectiveness and scale of specific interventions have been independently verified, and trial evidence remains mixed about final reductions in violence.
Nonetheless, the repeated endorsement of whole-school approaches by policymakers, researchers, and advocates suggests these comprehensive strategies offer the most promise. Prevention must be proactive, starting before violence occurs, and rooted in education—not reactionary responses after harm has been done.
Cape Flats communities and schools stand to benefit from bolstered support for these programmes, which require coordination between schools, families, government, and civil society. As South Africa confronts persistently high rates of GBV, embedding prevention in schools is more than a policy message—it is a critical frontline.
CapeFlats.co.za will continue monitoring developments in school-based GBV interventions and report on new findings, policy shifts, and community initiatives as they unfold.