OPINION | Implicit violence normalised in society, goes unreported

In SA, gender significantly influences violence and harassment, with minimal changes in the ongoing battle against gendered violence.

According to the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), between July and September 2024 there were 957 women murdered, 1,567 survived attempted murders, and 14,366 experienced serious assaults, along with 10,191 reported rapes.

These figures might be underestimating the true extent of the problem, as many cases go unreported due to an ineffective support system for women experiencing violence. Most instances of gendered violence remain implicit and unreported.

Women and girls in SA face explicit and implicit gendered violence. Explicit gendered violence is overt, easily recognised, and often reported. However, in SA, there is a plague of implicit gendered violence, which is more toxic and harmful because of its nature to be more covert and less visible, but with detrimental mental health consequences.

In the implicit gendered violence, while the perpetrators may be aware of their harmful behaviours, victims often fail to recognise it as a violation. Therefore, many women in SA fail to understand various behaviours that constitute gendered violence, especially implicit violence, until it is too late. They tend to unconsciously tolerate implicit gendered violence because it has been socially normalised and not often spoken about in the discourse of violence

The case of judge president Selby Mbenenge highlights implicit sexual harassment that many women face but often don’t report due to its covert nature and power dynamics. Many on X, including women, appear to discredit Andiswa Mengo’s side of the story. This premature dismissal of victims can create barriers for others experiencing similar situations.

During the data collection phase in Musina, 692 people were interviewed and surveyed. Most victims of implicit gendered violence did not report the incidences because they do not consider it as a form of violence.

When women were asked whether they had ever been sexually or physically assaulted or abused by their partner, most responded with “no”.

However, the same women when enquired whether their male partners had ever pressured or coerced them into sexual intercourse, forced them to do something sexual that they found degrading or humiliating, or physically assaulted them, such as slapping, punching, kicking, pushing, or threatening them with a weapon, most women affirmed that they had experienced at least two of these situations.

Much of gendered violence is implicit and often overlooked, making it less recognised and reported.

Those who report gender-based violence (GBV) to the police often receive inadequate support. Many are advised to handle their issues privately, as SA police officers frequently view domestic violence as a personal matter.

One woman said that when she sought help to arrest her abusive husband, the police warned her she would “die of hunger” if they took him into custody and suggested finding another way to resolve their problems.

One woman I encountered had visible bruises on her neck from being beaten by her husband. She attempted to report the incident to the police, but they refused to intervene. The refusal by police to intervene in home-based violence significantly discourages many women from coming forward, as they might feel they won't receive the help they need.

Many women who experience implicit gendered violence often perceive its impact on their health and wellbeing as limited or of no impact. However, implicit violence is linked to depression and increases susceptibility to mental health issues like anxiety and hopelessness.

Reducing GBV requires recognising the factors that make women vulnerable, including poverty, inequality, patriarchy, a lack of strong awareness about gendered violence, and the need for women's economic empowerment.

• Muravha is a researcher at the African Centre for Migration & Society at the University of Witwatersrand