Gender-based violence as a pandemic: Sociocultural and religious factors perpetuating violence against women in South Africa, L. W. Naicker (2025)

Abstract

In this article, Naicker frames GBV in South Africa as a “pandemic” deeply entwined with religious and cultural structures. She argues that religious beliefs, congregational silence, patriarchal theologies, and gendered interpretations of scripture often reinforce norms of control or dominance over women—making faith spaces sometimes complicit in sustaining violence. The article calls attention to how religious institutions may unwittingly suppress voices of survivors or discourage reporting, through doctrines or community pressures.

The second half of the article turns to hope and transformation: it proposes using African Women’s Theology, reinterpretations of sacred texts, and conscious reforms in church practice to reposition faith as a force against GBV. It emphasizes that mental and emotional healing of survivors must include spiritual restoration, with religious communities explicitly rejecting abuse and promoting gender justice. For a general audience, it highlights that faith and religion are not outside the problem—they can be part of the solution.