The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Social Development says President Cyril Ramaphosa’s declaration of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) as a national crisis is an urgent reminder that the country must take bolder and more decisive steps.

On Thursday, during the G20 Social Summit held in Ekurhuleni, Ramaphosa said government had declared GBVF a national crisis.

“We have agreed, among all social partners, that we need to take extraordinary and concerted action – using every means at our disposal – to end this crisis,” he said.

Committee chairperson Bridget Masango commended Ramaphosa for the move, which she said aimed to strengthen legislation, introduce femicide-specific policies, and create clear guidelines for preventing and responding to femicide.

Masango explained that despite multiple interventions by government and civil society, violence persisted in many communities.

The committee said Ramaphosa’s recognition of GBVF as a national crisis must be a catalyst for “real action”.

The committee wants the full and urgent implementation of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, along with tougher policies that deter perpetrators and ensure harsh consequences for them.

Masango highlighted that the committee had long called on law enforcement agencies and relevant stakeholders to fast-track the National Integrated Strategy on the Prevention of Femicide.

She noted the research presented to the committee by the South African Medical Research Council last year painted a devastating picture. It highlighted that over the past 20 years, South Africa recorded an estimated 10 972 femicide cases.

“Three women are killed every day by an intimate partner. One in four women reports experiencing physical or sexual abuse.

“These represent lives lost, families shattered, and communities living in fear,” she stated.

The committee had also raised repeated concerns about the slow reporting on the implementation of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF and the limited coordination between the Department of Social Development and other key stakeholders.

She said the declaration by the President must, therefore, serve as a turning point.

Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation chairperson Supra Mahumapelo said government, civil society and business must work together to end GBVF and to ensure that women and children were protected.