The high rate of rape and other forms of sexual violence in South Africa has sparked concern and outrage, leading to law reform, parliamentary debates, marches and campaigns. It has also led to a range of policy interventions intended to reduce the number of people who fall victim to these crimes. This policy brief summarises available information about the nature and extent of sexual violence in South Africa. It also describes some efforts to address the problem. However, it does not focus extensively on child sexual abuse – this being a topic in its own right.

About the author:

Lisa Vetten has spent over 20 years working in the field of violence against women. She is currently a research associate at the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WiSER) where her research focuses on the criminal justice system, post-rape care and the role of the state in addressing violence against women.

The Institute for Security Studies is grateful for support from the following members of the ISS Partnership Forum: the governments of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the USA.