Introduction:
Gender-based violence (GBV) continues to be a significant public health and social justice concern in South Africa, particularly in rural provinces such as Limpopo. Despite the existence of progressive policy frameworks, including the National Strategic Plan on GBV and Femicide, the burden of violence remains high in communities where cultural norms, economic hardships, and limited access to services prevail. Women in rural areas face numerous barriers when recognising, reporting, or responding to GBV. This study seeks to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of women regarding gender-based violence in the Dikgale, Mamabolo, and Mothiba (DIMAMO) Health and Demographic Surveillance Site, within the Capricorn District of Limpopo Province, by conducting a secondary analysis of qualitative data collected in 2023.
Objectives:
The objectives of the study were to explore women’s knowledge and understanding of GBV, identify prevailing attitudes and beliefs about violence, and examine community responses and systemic barriers to help-seeking behaviours.
Methods:
A qualitative secondary data analysis approach was used. The data consisted of transcripts from four focus group discussions (female, male, survivor, and mixed groups) and 24 key informant interviews with stakeholders such as nurses, social workers, South African Police Services (SAPS) officers, traditional leaders, teachers, pastors, and Non-Government Organisation representatives. Thematic analysis was employed to identify recurring themes and sub-themes related to GBV awareness, attitudes, reporting practices, drivers, and available support systems. The study is set in the Capricorn District of Limpopo Province of South Africa. Results: Findings revealed that knowledge of GBV is incomplete, with most respondents recognising only physical abuse and lacking awareness of emotional, psychological, or economic violence. Patriarchal norms, traditional beliefs, and cultural values strongly influence perceptions and often discourage reporting, as GBV is seen as a private domestic matter. Key drivers identified include poverty, substance abuse, gender inequality, and unregulated alcohol sales. Institutional responses are limited by poor coordination, underfunded Non-Government Organisations, lack of trained personnel, and minimal engagement from traditional leaders. Survivors often lack both economic and emotional support, which discourages them from seeking help after experiencing violence.
Conclusions:
Gender-based violence remains endemic in the Capricorn District, with both individual and structural factors fuelling its persistence. A holistic and context-specific approach is needed, involving community dialogues, service provider capacity building, economic empowerment for survivors, and integrated coordination across sectors. This study provides critical baseline insights to inform locally grounded GBV response strategies in this setting.
Author Contributions
Methodology, T.J.M.; Validation, T.J.M.; Investigation, S.S.; Conceptualisation, S.S.; Software, S.S.; Formal Analysis, T.J.M. and S.S.; Resources, T.J.M. and S.S.; Writing—Original Draft Preparation, S.S. and T.J.M.; Writing—Review & Editing, T.J.M.; Supervision, T.J.M.; Project Administration, S.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research was funded by SARChI CHAIR in Mental Health and Society, Grant NO: UID/150571.
Institutional Review Board Statement
The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and the protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Turfloop Research Ethics Committee (TREC/479/2021: PG) on 15 May 2019.
Informed Consent Statement
Informed consent for participation was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.
Data Availability Statement
The data used in this study are part of the DIMAMO population health research centre database and are not publicly available due to confidentiality and data sharing arrangements. Access may be granted upon reasonable written request from the University of Limpopo.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
| Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
