21/09/2026
Hamilton College Stands Against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF)
On Friday, Hamilton College joined communities across South Africa in wearing black to commemorate the lives lost to gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) and to stand in solidarity with grieving families and survivors.
As illustrated to our learners in their College assembly, the statistics remind us why awareness and action are so important. During the 2024/25 financial year, South Africa recorded more than 249,800 reported crimes against women, including murder, attempted murder, assault and sexual offences. SAPS also recorded over 60,000 sexual offences against women, while specialised Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences units made 22,219 arrests related to GBV, femicide, sexual offences and crimes against children.
The scale of the issue is further reflected in South Africa's national GBV prevalence research. The 2022 GBV Prevalence Study found that approximately 1 in 3 women in South Africa, around 7.3 million women, have experienced physical violence in their lifetime, while about 2.1 million women have experienced sexual violence.
At Hamilton College, we believe that education, awareness, respect and standing together are important steps towards creating a safer society.
Together, we remember. Together, we stand. Together, we say NO to GBVF. 🖤
Sources:
* South African Police Service (SAPS) – Annual Report 2024/2025
* Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) – First South African National Gender-Based Violence Prevalence Study
* South African Government (gov.za) – National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NCGBVF) statements and reports
