Abstract
Background: While Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is a global reality, the escalation of GBV in South Africa, and the devastating physical, psychological, social and economic impacts that it has on individuals, families and communities, highlights the need to understand the drivers of and responses to this phenomenon. Aim: The study therefore sought the views of a group of men, a group of women and a group of organizational representatives regarding the drivers of and responses to GBV. Method: The research adopted a comparative case study research design located within a qualitative approach. As the study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, telephonic interviews were conducted with participants. Responses were analysed using thematic analysis and interpreted in accordance with WHO’s (2000) social-ecological framework and its emphasis on individual, relationship and community/societal factors. Results: When the three groups were compared, in terms of individual drivers, the issue of male dominance and control was cited by both the men and the women, while the issue of financial dependence was mentioned by the men as well as the organizational representatives. With regard to relationship drivers, all three groups cited financial disparities, while patriarchy was mentioned by the men and the organizational representatives. With respect to community/societal drivers, both the men and the women raised the issue of South Africa being a violent society, with the legacy of apartheid mentioned by the women and the organizational representatives. When the three groups were compared in terms of their views on responses to GBV, all three groups mentioned self-education as an individual response. In terms of relationship responses, both the men and the women cited family and work group discussions. In relation to community/societal responses, both the men and the women highlighted the importance of community education. In terms of policies, all three groups acknowledged that South Africa has good policies in relation to GBV but the women and organizational representatives pointed out the policies lacked implementation. When asked about the courts, the men and women cited bribery and corruption, and the long delays in finalizing cases. Conclusion: The main conclusion reached was that GBV is a multi-faceted phenomenon with multiple drivers and a broad range of possible responses. As the WHO (2000) model focuses only on drivers, the current study expands on the model by also focusing on responses to GBV, thereby contributing to a more holistic theoretical perspective. Recommendations are made for addressing GBV at the individual, relationship and community/societal levels. Key Words: Gender-Based Violence, drivers, responses, social-ecological model.