Introduction
More than just a date, 25 November serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to end all forms of violence against women (VAW), commemorated globally as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It is also a call for decisive action to ensure justice for women who have been killed and to hold perpetrators accountable. The United Nations (UN) reports that nearly one in three women worldwide has been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence at least once in their life. Even more worrying is that despite ongoing efforts by civil society organisations and states, VAW is increasingly overshadowed by a global rise in femicide, with one woman or girl being killed every 10 minutes. This alarming trend underscores the urgent need to strengthen our collective efforts, mechanisms and legal frameworks, which remain insufficient to protect women today.
Types of violence against women
The term ‘violence’ refers to force and ‘notions of constraint and using physical superiority on the other person’. Even though it has existed on Earth as long as mankind, its meaning is influenced by different times, places, circumstances and realities. Some common types of VAW are: domestic violence, femicide, sexual violence, most of which take place in the ‘traditional’ sphere, and digital violence. Domestic violence, also called ‘domestic abuse’ or ‘intimate partner violence’ (IPV) refers to acts of violence occurring in domestic settings between two people who are in an intimate relationship. This type of violence spans physical, emotional, psychological, and financial abuse. Coined in 1976, femicide refers to all types of intentional killings of women and girls. Sexual violence is any act that is sexual in nature and carried out without the consent of the victim, such as rape, sexual abuse and harassment, exploitation and forced prostitution. A disheartening reality about VAW is that it is not confined to offline spaces. It extends beyond the ‘traditional’ sphere, with a growing number of women and girls around the world becoming victims of online, or digital violence. Image-based abuse, cyberbullying, online harassment, deepfake pornography, revenge porn, online stalking, catfishing, among others, all fall under the category of digital violence. Digital violence is rapidly and seriously emerging as a major threat to stalk, harass and abuse women and girls. It has therefore become a central focus of this year’s campaign to end violence against women and girls. This trend clearly shows that VAW is expanding from ‘traditional’ to online spaces, making it increasingly difficult for women and girls to feel safe at home, work, or in public spaces.
Sub-Saharan Africa in perspective
The commitment of the international community to end VAW is mostly reflected in the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, and the UN Security Council Resolution 1325. At continental level, Africa adopted the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol), the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the African Union Convention on ending violence against Women and Girls, all of which explicitly protect the rights of women. Further, under article 18 of its African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter), the African Union reiterates its commitment to encouraging member states to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls. At regional level of the continent, the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, the SADC Model Law on Gender-Based Violence, the ECOWAS Plan of Action to Address Gender-Based Violence, and the Supplementary Act relating to Equality of Rights between Women and Men for sustainable development in the ECOWAS region all reinforce continental and international efforts to eliminate all forms of VAW. At national level, many countries have introduced laws and initiatives specific to VAW. For example, these include the Domestic Violence Act in South Africa, the Combating of Rape Act in Namibia, the Anti-Gender-Based Violence Act in Zambia, the Sexual Offences Act in Sierra Leone, the Law on Prevention and Punishment of Gender-Based Violence in Rwanda, among others.
Nonetheless, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) continues to record some of the highest levels of VAW globally. For example, in July 2025, it was reported that 45.6 per cent of women aged 15 years and above in SSA reported IPV compared to 36.1 per cent in the Americas, 36.4 per cent in the Eastern Mediterranean, 27.2 per cent in Europe and 40.2 per cent in Southeast Asia. In 2024 alone, more than 1 in 5 girls and women in SSA experienced rape or sexual assault before the age of 18. With regard to femicide, in 2023, Africa had the highest number of victims, with an estimated 20,000 victims compared to 18,400 in Asia, 7900 in the Americas and 2300 in Europe. Following a similar trend, digital violence is also relatively high on the continent. Some alarming statistics show that 90 to 95 per cent of online deepfakes are sexual images of women, 28 per cent of women interviewed in some African countries reported experiencing online violence, and 42 per cent of female parliamentarians said they had received death and rape threats online.
Two prominent factors explaining the high level of VAW in Africa are the cultural norms and poor implementation of laws. Violence against women is heavily influenced by traditional norms and patriarchy in SSA, which often relegates women to disadvantaged positions within the family. In many African cultures, men are seen as the sole providers, leaving women financially dependent and making it difficult to leave an abusive husband, as doing so is often considered ‘shameful’. As a result, many women become victims and may feel compelled to tolerate maltreatment. In other cases, men who are unable to fulfil their expected role as breadwinner may develop an inferiority complex, sometimes leading to domestic abuse against women. Further, due to cultural constraints, many women are afraid to report abuse, even in countries such as South Africa where progressive laws exist, and VAW has recently been classified as a national disaster.
Moreover, despite developments in jurisprudence on VAW in Africa, poor implementation of laws persists in many African countries, allowing VAW to remain an unresolved issue. For example, efforts to combat digital violence through cybercrime legislation are often undermined by weak enforcement in countries such as Kenya, Botswana and Mauritius. Beyond weak enforcement, ill-equipped justice systems continue to fail women across the African continent. In many VAW cases, perpetrators are never effectively investigated and punished. For example, in post-conflict countries where sexual violence is common, a sad reality is that the majority of perpetrators enjoy near-complete impunity and are rarely prosecuted. One contributing factor is the male-dominated composition of the judicial system, often influenced by patriarchal customary norms that discriminate against women and girls. Compared to male, very few women are provided the opportunity to participate in the judiciary. However, when they do, they often bring a different perspective. For example, during the 1998 trial of former Rwandan mayor Jean-Paul Akayesu before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), the presiding judge, Navenetham Pillay, insisted that charges of rape be investigated. This was significant as it marked the first time an international court not only punished sexual violence in a civil war but also recognised rape as an act of genocide. This underscores the importance of female representation in the judiciary for protecting women.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Violence against women is an urgent issue that requires immediate action. Under this year’s theme of digital violence, it is clear that VAW is evolving faster than our capacity to address it. It is no longer confined to ‘traditional’ spaces. On the African continent, cultural barriers combined with poor implementation of laws risk worsening VAW over time. Therefore, systematic gaps in the African system must be addressed. First, there is a need to educate both girls and boys on VAW, starting at a young age in schools. They should be informed about the legal frameworks that punish VAW and about its definition. Women and girls must also be educated that there is no shame in reporting any form of violence. Further, African governments must ensure that perpetrators are held accountable to send a strong message to those who violate VAW laws. Finally, increasing female representation in the judiciary is essential to break away from patriarchal norms and to foster trust among women in reporting violence.
