Assessing community attitudes towards gender-based violence in East London, South Africa

Abstract

Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a critical human rights and public health challenge in South Africa, with East London in the Eastern Cape exemplifying high levels of intimate partner violence and femicide driven by socio-economic inequalities and entrenched cultural norms. This qualitative study explored community perceptions and attitudes towards GBV in urban East London to inform culturally sensitive interventions. Guided by a constructivist paradigm, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 purposively sampled participants from Masimanyane Women Support Centre, Masithethe Counselling Services, and the broader community. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal GBV as deeply entrenched across townships and suburbs, with physical and emotional abuse most prevalent and exacerbated by poverty, unemployment, and alcohol abuse. Legal awareness remains fragmented, with superficial knowledge of the Domestic Violence Act (1998) and poor enforcement. Patriarchal norms such as male headship and lobola continue to normalise violence, although emerging resistance from churches and youth groups offers hope. Community attitudes are polarised, with strong support from women and younger participants contrasted by male and elder views of GBV as a private matter. The study recommends elder-church partnerships, male-inclusive campaigns, and strengthened NGO-SAPS collaboration under the NSP-GBVF. By centring local voices, this research contributes to context-specific strategies for GBV prevention in East London.

Ndzavisiso lowu wa xiyimo xa qualitative, lowu nga ni nhlokomhaka leyi nge Assessing Community Attitudes Towards Gender-Based Violence in East London, South Africa, wu kamburile maonelo na mavonelo ya vaaki mayelana na timhaka ta Gender-Based Violence (GBV) e East London. Ndzavisiso wu landzele paradigm ya constructivist, kutani wu endleke ti-interview ta semi-structured na vanhu va 15 lava hlawuriweke hi ndlela ya purposive, ku suka e Masimanyane Women Support Centre, Masithethe Counselling Services, na e ka vaaki va tiko. Data yi hlahluviwe hi ku tirhisa thematic analysis. Ndzavisiso wu kombise leswaku GBV yi tshembheka swinene e ka matiko ya ximfumo na e ka matiko ya le xiswini, laha ku xaniseka ka miri na ka mianakanyo swi nga swinene, swi susumetiwa hi vusweti, ku hlaya ka ntirho, na ku nwa byala. Vutivi bya milawu byi le ka xiyimo xo karhi, laha vutivi byi nga byi teki hi ndlela yo enta mayelana na Domestic Violence Act (1998) na ku va kona ka ku landzelerisa loku ka ha ri kona. Milawu ya patriarchal ku fana na vuhosi bya wanuna na lobola swi ya emahlweni swi endla leswaku madimoni ya GBV ma va ya tolovelekile, hambileswi ku va na ku hanana loku ku humaka e ka tikereke na mintlawa ya vafana. Maonelo ya vaaki ya hambana, laha vavasati na vantshwa va kombisa ku seketela loku ku tiyisile, kasi vavanuna na vakulukumba va vona GBV tanihi ntlhontlho wa ndyangu. Ndzavisiso wu kombisa leswaku ku fanele ku va na minongolo leyi nga ya ximfumo leyi fambisanaka na ndhavuko, ku katsa na ku hlangana ka vakulukumba na tikereke, minongolo leyi katsaka vavanuna, na ku tiyisa ku hlangana ka ma-NGO na SAPS ehansi ka NSP-GBVF. Hi ku veka maonelo ya vaaki va le kaya, ndzavisiso lowu wu nyika ndhawu e ka minongolo leyi fambisanaka na ndhawu ya kona ku sivela GBV East London.

Thuto ena ea boleng, e nang le sehlooho se reng Assessing Community Attitudes Towards Gender-Based Violence in East London, South Africa, e ile ea hlahloba maikutlo le maikutlo a sechaba mabapi le tlhekefetso ea bong (GBV) toropong ea East London. E tataisoa ke paradigm ea constructivist, thuto ena e sebelisitse lipuisano tse hlophisitsoeng hantle le barupeluoa ba 15 ba khethiloeng ka mokhoa oa purposive, ho tsoa Setsing sa Tšehetso sa Basali sa Masimanyane, Litšebeletso tsa Hlahlobo ea Masithethe, le sechabeng ka kakaretso. Lintlha li ile tsa hlahlojoa ka mokhoa oa thematic analysis. Liphetho li bontša hore GBV e metse ka metso metseng ea litoropo le litoropong, moo tlhekefetso ea ’mele le ea maikutlo e leng eona e atileng haholo, e susumetsoang haholo ke bofuma, ho hloka mosebetsi le tšebeliso ea joala. Tsebo ea molao e ntse e arohane, e tšoauoa ka tsebo e sa tebang ea Molao oa Tlhekefetso ea Lelapa (1998) le ts’ebetsong e fokolang. Litloaelo tsa bopatriarch tse kang bohlooho ba banna le lobola li tsoela pele ho etsa hore pefo e be ntho e tloaelehileng, le hoja ho na le khanyetso e ntseng e hlaha ho tsoa likerekeng le lihlopha tsa bacha e bontšang monyetla oa phetoho. Maikutlo a sechaba a arohane, basali le bacha ba bontša tšehetso e matla ea mehato, ha banna ba bangata le baholo ba talima GBV e le taba ea lelapa feela. Thuto ena e khothaletsa mehato e thehiloeng moetlong e kenyelletsang tšebelisano ’moho ea baholo le likereke, liphutuhelo tse kenyelletsang banna, le tšebelisano ’moho e matlafalitsoeng ea mekhatlo ea sechaba le SAPS tlas’a Leano la Sechaba la GBV le Femicide. Ka ho beha mantsoe a sechaba bohareng, thuto ena e kenya letsoho ho maano a ikhethileng a sebaka sa ho thibela GBV East London.