With a direct impact on growth, competitiveness and national welfare, GBV is not simply a social justice issue -- it is an economic development emergency.ith a direct impact on growth, competitiveness and national welfare, GBV is not simply a social justice issue -- it is an economic development emergency.

Six years after the government declared gender-based violence a national emergency, the numbers remain stubbornly concerning. One in 10 women in South Africa has experienced sexual violence - and reporting remains chronically low.

Across various indicators, South Africa consistently features at the top of rape rates and composite danger scores, alongside the likes of Mexico, India, Iraq and Brazil.

With more than 132 rapes per 100,000 people, and one in four men admitting to committing rape, the numbers boggle the mind. Meanwhile, far from declining, intimate partner violence has increased in recent years.

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The economic ramifications of this crisis are real. Often described as a public health and social crisis, addressing gender-based violence (GBV) must move beyond social workers and non-profit organisations. Evidence suggests GBV directly hollows out our economy, stripping women of opportunities and eroding growth.

Sub-Saharan Africa has the world's highest share of girls abused before the age of 18. In Johannesburg, widely regarded as the commercial capital of the continent and which employs at least 30% of the national...