The Crisis of Gender-Based Violence

South Africa faces one of the world’s highest rates of gender-based violence (GBV), creating a national crisis that demands urgent attention. Statistics paint a disturbing picture: a woman is murdered every three hours, and approximately one in three women will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime (Gender Links, 2021). Despite having one of the most progressive constitutions globally, the lived reality for many South African women reflects a stark disparity between legal protections and everyday experiences.

This epidemic of violence against women represents not only a profound human rights crisis but also a spiritual challenge that calls Christians to respond with biblical conviction and compassionate action. As believers, we are called to participate in the missio Dei—God’s ongoing mission to redeem and restore a fallen world. The prophet Micah reminds us of God’s requirements: “to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). When we witness the suffering of women in South Africa, we cannot remain passive observers but must actively join God’s redemptive work in the world.

This article explores how the biblical call for equitable care and justice advocacy directly applies to the crisis of gender-based violence in South Africa and around the world. We will examine how faith communities are responding, the theological foundations for gender justice, and practical ways Christians can participate in God’s mission of healing and restoration in this context.

 

Understanding Equitable Care Through a Biblical Lens

Equitable care goes beyond mere charity—it represents the intentional actions believers take to reflect God’s justice by ensuring fair treatment, impartiality, and restoration for all people, particularly those marginalized by society. This concept is deeply rooted in Scripture, beginning with Genesis 1:27, which affirms that both men and women are created in God’s image with inherent dignity and worth.

Throughout the Bible, God consistently demonstrates special concern for the vulnerable. The Psalmist declares that God “executes justice for the oppressed” and “upholds the widow and the fatherless” (Psalm 146:7-9). Jesus himself exemplified this posture by consistently elevating the status of women in a patriarchal society, engaging them as disciples (Luke 10:39), theological conversation partners (John 4), and the first witnesses to his resurrection (Matthew 28:1-10).

In South Africa’s context, equitable care means recognizing the systemic inequalities that have historically devalued women and acknowledging how these patterns continue to enable violence. It calls Christians to move beyond passive concern into active participation in the missio Dei—God’s redemptive work to redeem, reconcile, and restore justice and dignity where they have been violated. When believers advocate for justice, restore dignity, and dismantle systems of oppression, they are not simply engaging in social work but participating in God’s cosmic mission to make all things new, thereby living out a gospel-centered witness. 

 

Participating in the Missio Dei: A Theological Framework

To understand gender justice work as participation in God’s mission, we must first grasp the concept of missio Dei—”the mission of God.” This theological framework recognizes that mission originates not in human initiatives but in God’s very nature and activity in the world. God is a sending God who sent the Son, and together they sent the Spirit, who in turn sends Christian believers into the world as an instrument of God’s redemptive purpose.

Scripture reveals God’s mission as comprehensive restoration—reconciling all things to himself through Christ (Colossians 1:19-20). This includes not only individual salvation (which is the core of a gospel-centered witness) but also the healing of relationships, the establishment of justice, and the restoration of creation itself. When Jesus announced his ministry by reading from Isaiah 61, he proclaimed “good news to the poor…freedom for the prisoners…release the oppressed” (Luke 4:18), demonstrating that God’s redemptive mission addresses tangible human suffering and systemic injustice.

In addressing gender-based violence, Christians participate in this divine mission by:

1. Bearing witness to God’s original design for gender relationships characterized by mutual honor and partnership rather than domination or exploitation
2. Embodying God’s justice by protecting the vulnerable and holding perpetrators accountable
3. Extending God’s healing to survivors through trauma-informed care that addresses both physical and spiritual wounds
4. Anticipating God’s future where relationships are restored and violence is no more

This theological framework transforms our understanding of gender justice work from optional social activism to essential participation in God’s redemptive purpose. As theologian David Bosch noted, “Mission is not primarily an activity of the church, but an attribute of God.” When Christians confront gender-based violence, they join God’s activity already present in the world.

 

The Roots of Gender Violence in South Africa: Historical and Cultural Contexts

To address gender-based violence effectively, we must understand its complex roots in South Africa’s history and culture. The country’s legacy of apartheid institutionalized violence and dehumanization while disrupting traditional family structures through migrant labor systems and forced removals. This history created conditions where violence became normalized as a means of asserting control.

Post-apartheid South Africa continues to struggle with high unemployment, economic inequality, and social dislocation—factors that contribute to heightened levels of gender-based violence. Traditional patriarchal beliefs that subordinate women persist alongside modern constitutional guarantees of gender equality, creating a tension that often manifests in violence when male authority feels threatened.

Cultural practices that objectify women’s bodies or commodify relationships further exacerbate these problems. Practices like “ukuthwala” (bride abduction) and “lobola” (bride price), while having traditional cultural significance, can be misinterpreted or abused to justify control over women. High rates of alcohol abuse also correlate strongly with incidents of domestic violence.

This complex interplay of historical trauma, economic pressure, and cultural attitudes creates the environment where gender-based violence flourishes. As Christians seeking to address this crisis, we must approach these realities with both cultural sensitivity and biblical clarity, recognizing that God’s design for gender relationships transcends cultural distortions while honoring cultural expressions that affirm human dignity.

 

Biblical Perspectives on Gender: Equality, Difference, and Divine Design

Scripture provides a foundation for understanding gender that affirms both equality of worth and complementary differences between men and women. Genesis establishes that both sexes are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and called to shared dominion over creation (Genesis 1:28). This foundational equality contradicts any notion that women are inherently inferior or exist merely for male benefit.

At the same time, the Bible acknowledges biological differences between males and females as part of God’s good design. These differences are not hierarchical but complementary, reflecting different aspects of God’s nature and enabling the fulfillment of his purposes for humanity. Galatians 3:28 affirms that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” establishing spiritual equality while not erasing the distinct biological realities of maleness and femaleness.

Unfortunately, human sin has distorted these relationships, introducing dominance and subjugation where partnership was intended. After the Fall, God describes the consequence: “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you” (Genesis 3:16). This prediction of distorted gender relations—not a prescription—describes precisely the pattern of male domination and female subjugation that enables gender-based violence.

Jesus’s ministry radically challenged these fallen patterns. He treated women with unprecedented dignity and respect, including them among his followers (Luke 8:1-3), defending them against public shame (John 8:1-11), and entrusting them with the first proclamation of his resurrection (John 20:17-18). Paul likewise affirmed women’s spiritual gifts and leadership (Romans 16:1-2, 7) while addressing the specific cultural contexts of the early church.

This biblical foundation challenges both extremes in modern gender discussions. It refutes patriarchal systems that subordinate women and enable abuse, while also affirming that biological maleness and femaleness are meaningful realities in God’s design, not mere social constructions to be redefined at will. In addressing gender-based violence, Christians must hold these truths in tension—fighting for women’s equal dignity while honoring the complementary design of the sexes as part of God’s good creation.

 

The Church’s Response: Faith-Based Initiatives Addressing Gender Violence

Across South Africa, Christian organizations and churches are responding to gender-based violence with innovative programs that combine practical assistance with spiritual transformation. These initiatives demonstrate how participation in the missio Dei translates into tangible action.

The Tearfund South Africa organization has pioneered the “Transforming Masculinities” program, which engages faith leaders and communities in addressing harmful gender norms through biblical reflection and community dialogues. This program has shown remarkable success in changing attitudes and behaviors of men by helping them understand that true biblical masculinity is defined by service and protection, not domination.

Anglican Church’s Safe Church Network provides trauma counseling, safe houses, and legal advocacy for survivors of gender-based violence. Through their parish-based approach, they create community support systems that offer both immediate safety and long-term healing through trauma-informed spiritual care.

Local congregations throughout the country have established support groups for survivors where women find solidarity, practical help, and spiritual encouragement. These groups often become powerful agents of change as survivors become advocates, transforming their pain into purpose by educating others and challenging harmful cultural attitudes.

Faith-based legal aid clinics operated by organizations like the Legal Resources Centre partner with churches to provide pro bono legal services to women seeking protection orders, divorce from abusive partners, or child custody. These services recognize that justice requires both spiritual transformation and legal intervention.

The South African Faith and Family Institute trains pastoral counselors in addressing domestic violence from a biblical perspective, equipping church leaders to recognize signs of abuse, respond appropriately to disclosures, and create congregations where survivors find safety instead of stigma.

These initiatives demonstrate how Christians can respond to gender-based violence in ways that honor both the dignity of survivors and the transformative power of the gospel. They show that addressing gender justice isn’t peripheral to the church’s mission but central to its participation in God’s redemptive work in communities broken by violence.

 

Unbiblical Views of Family and Their Consequences

Gender-based violence often flourishes where unbiblical views of family relationships have taken root. These distortions contradict God’s design for human flourishing and create environments where abuse becomes normalized or justified.

One common distortion interprets biblical passages about submission (Ephesians 5:22-33) as license for male domination rather than an invitation to Christ-like sacrifice. This misreading ignores the mutual submission commanded of all believers (Ephesians 5:21) and the husband’s call to love his wife “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). When submission is demanded rather than freely offered, and when male headship is understood as dictatorship rather than servant leadership, the stage is set for abuse.

Another unbiblical view treats women primarily as property or possessions rather than image-bearers of God with inherent worth and agency. This objectification perverts the biblical concept of marriage as a covenant partnership and reduces women to instruments for male gratification or status. Such attitudes enable violence by dehumanizing women and denying their God-given dignity.

Some religious teachings have incorrectly emphasized family preservation at all costs, pressuring women to remain in abusive relationships “for the sake of the children” or to avoid divorce. This approach misinterprets Scripture’s high view of marriage while ignoring God’s hatred of violence and oppression (Malachi 2:16). It tragically sacrifices women’s safety on the altar of religious appearances.

These distortions have real consequences. Research by the South African Medical Research Council has found that religious women often stay longer in abusive relationships due to misapplied religious teaching or fear of judgment from faith communities. When churches fail to address domestic violence directly or tacitly support male dominance, they become complicit in perpetuating cycles of abuse rather than participating in God’s mission of healing and restoration.

True biblical family relationships are characterized by mutual love, respect, and service—not control or dominance. As Jesus demonstrated in his interactions with women, God’s design elevates rather than subjugates, empowers rather than controls, and protects rather than exploits. By correcting these distortions with sound biblical teaching, churches can help transform cultural attitudes that enable gender-based violence and align themselves more fully with the missio Dei.

 

Cultural Transformation: Changing Attitudes Toward Women

Addressing gender-based violence requires more than rescue services and legal protections; it demands transforming deeply held cultural attitudes toward women. Christian initiatives across South Africa are tackling this challenge through education, dialogue, and positive cultural engagement  as part of their participation in God’s mission to transform all aspects of human life.

The “Thursdays in Black” campaign, supported by the South African Council of Churches, uses symbolic action—wearing black on Thursdays—to raise awareness about gender-based violence while fostering conversations in workplaces, schools, and communities about respect for women. This simple act makes the invisible visible and creates opportunities for Christians to advocate for change.

Church-based men’s groups like “Mighty Men” and “Men of Honor” are redefining masculinity through the lens of Christ’s character rather than cultural stereotypes of dominance. These groups challenge the notion that violence proves manhood, instead promoting responsibility, gentleness, and respect as true marks of masculine strength.

Youth ministries are addressing gender attitudes at their formative stage through gender justice curricula that help young people recognize media influences, peer pressure, and cultural messages that devalue women. By engaging scripture alongside contemporary issues, these programs equip the next generation to develop healthier attitudes and relationships.

Community theater initiatives like Themba Interactive use drama to address sensitive cultural topics around gender relations in accessible ways. Through participatory performances in schools, churches, and community centers, these programs engage audiences in reimagining cultural narratives about gender.

Theological education programs are incorporating gender justice components into pastoral training, ensuring that future church leaders understand the biblical foundations for women’s dignity and have practical skills for addressing gender-based violence in their congregations.

These initiatives demonstrate how Christians can engage in cultural transformation with both prophetic challenge and cultural sensitivity. Rather than simply condemning culture, they offer redemptive alternatives rooted in gospel values. This approach recognizes that lasting change requires addressing the beliefs and attitudes that sustain unjust practices, not merely the practices themselves—a holistic approach that reflects the comprehensive nature of God’s mission in the world.

 

The Individual’s Role: Merging Faith, Career, and Mission in Justice Work

Christian believers have unique opportunities to merge their faith, career, and mission through involvement in various justice-related fields. This integration allows individuals to become agents of God’s redemptive work in addressing gender-based violence and other injustices as part of their personal participation in the missio Dei.

In criminal justice and law enforcement, Christian professionals can demonstrate procedural justice that treats gender-based violence with appropriate seriousness. Police officers can implement trauma-informed interview techniques with survivors, while correctional officers can support rehabilitation programs for perpetrators that address harmful attitudes toward women. These professionals become God’s instruments of protection for the vulnerable when they perform their duties with integrity and compassion.

Those working in criminal investigation and forensics play crucial roles in building cases that hold perpetrators accountable. Christians in these fields can bring meticulous attention to detail and unwavering commitment to truth that reflects God’s character as the ultimate Judge who “will bring every deed into judgment” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Their work provides the evidence needed for justice to prevail in cases of gender violence.

Christians involved in international law and justice can address systemic issues that affect women globally, including immigration, refugee policies, and human trafficking. These professionals can advocate for the particular vulnerabilities of women and girls in migration contexts, where gender-based violence often increases. Their work embodies the biblical mandate to “defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:9) across national boundaries.

Those pursuing careers in environmental law and justice can address how environmental degradation disproportionately impacts women, especially in rural South Africa. When women must walk farther for water or firewood due to resource depletion, their vulnerability to assault increases. Christians in this field can advocate for environmental policies that consider these gendered impacts, reflecting God’s concern for both creation care and human dignity.

In legal and paralegal services, Christians can provide direct advocacy for survivors navigating complex legal systems. Whether drafting protection orders, representing clients in family court, or providing legal education to vulnerable communities, these professionals embody Christ’s concern for justice while offering practical help in crisis situations.

Across all these fields, Christian professionals participate in God’s mission by standing against injustice with both professional excellence and compassionate witness. Their work becomes a sacred calling when viewed through the lens of Proverbs 31:8-9: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” This integration of faith and vocation represents a powerful way for believers to participate in the missio Dei in their daily lives.

 

Addressing Global Vulnerabilities: A Christian Approach to Advocacy

The Justice Advocacy Mission calls Christians to confront vulnerabilities that affect women not only in South Africa but globally. This broader perspective helps us see gender-based violence as part of interconnected systems of injustice that require holistic responses aligned with God’s comprehensive mission of redemption..

Human rights advocacy from a Christian perspective recognizes that rights are not merely legal constructs but reflections of God-given dignity. When Christians advocate for women’s education rights, migration rights, or freedom from discrimination, they affirm that every woman bears God’s image. This advocacy addresses root causes of vulnerability that enable gender-based violence to flourish.

Christians working toward environmental justice recognize the disproportionate impact environmental degradation has on women. In South Africa, climate change intensifies water scarcity, forcing women and girls to travel farther for household water needs and increasing their exposure to assault. By addressing these environmental challenges, Christians protect women’s safety while honoring God’s call to steward creation responsibly.

Community policing initiatives led by Christians can transform law enforcement approaches to gender-based violence. When police are trained to respond appropriately to domestic violence calls, when reporting procedures are streamlined for sexual assault survivors, and when community trust in law enforcement increases, women gain greater protection. These efforts reflect biblical principles of justice that demand protection for the vulnerable.

Addressing personal and public security concerns requires Christians to challenge state practices that endanger women, including unlawful detention, coercive measures, and inadequate protection from terrorism. Women peace-builders in conflict zones demonstrate how Christian principles of reconciliation and non-violence can transform communities where violence has become normalized.

Through these various avenues of advocacy, Christians participate in God’s mission to restore shalom—comprehensive wellbeing and justice—to a broken world. This work requires both spiritual discernment and practical expertise, combining prophetic witness with professional excellence. It demonstrates that concern for gender justice isn’t peripheral to Christian mission but central to gospel witness in a world marred by exploitation and abuse.

 

Practical Steps: Supporting Gender Justice as Gospel Witness

For Christians committed to addressing gender-based violence in South Africa and elsewhere, here are practical steps that translate conviction into action as part of participation in God’s mission:

1. Educate yourself and others about the realities of gender-based violence, its causes and consequences. Host church study groups using resources that teach biblically-based views of masculinity and femininity.
2. Examine church teachings and practices related to gender, marriage, and family. Ensure that sermons, Bible studies, and premarital counseling promote healthy relationships based on mutual respect rather than dominance and control.
3. Create safe spaces for disclosure where survivors can share their experiences without judgment or simplistic spiritual advice. Train pastoral care teams in trauma-informed approaches that recognize both psychological and spiritual dimensions of healing.
4. Partner with existing organizations addressing gender-based violence rather than duplicating efforts. Consider how your congregation can support shelters, counseling services, or legal aid programs through volunteers, financial contributions, or in-kind donations.
5. Engage men as allies in the work of preventing violence. Establish men’s ministries focused on biblical masculinity that challenges cultural stereotypes glorifying dominance and aggression.
6. Use your professional skills in service to survivors. Whether you work in healthcare, education, law, counseling, or business, consider how your expertise can address aspects of gender-based violence.
7. Advocate for policy changes that better protect women and hold perpetrators accountable. Support campaigns for improved implementation of existing laws and adequate funding for prevention and response services.
8. Incorporate gender justice themes into regular worship and preaching, highlighting biblical texts that affirm women’s dignity and God’s concern for the vulnerable.
9. Model equitable relationships in your own life, demonstrating Christ-like mutual submission, respect, and partnership. Personal examples remain a powerful testimony that challenges cultural norms.
10. Pray consistently for healing for survivors, transformation for perpetrators, wisdom for leaders, and cultural change throughout South Africa. Prayer acknowledges our dependence on God’s power while committing ourselves to action.

These practical steps allow every believer to participate in God’s mission of justice and restoration. Whether through professional roles, community involvement, or congregational leadership, Christians can bear witness to God’s heart for the oppressed and vision for healthy relationships that reflect his character.

 

Gender Justice as Participation in God’s Mission

Addressing violence against women in South Africa and worldwide is not a peripheral concern for Christians but a central expression of participation in the missio Dei—God’s ongoing mission to restore all creation according to his original design. When we stand against gender-based violence, we join God’s work to create a world where both women and men flourish in relationships characterized by mutual love, respect, and service.

This mission flows from the very heart of God, who consistently demonstrates special concern for the vulnerable and oppressed. The prophet Isaiah describes God as one who “will bring justice to the nations” (Isaiah 42:1) and whose servant comes “to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1). Jesus himself embodied this mission, treating women with unprecedented dignity in a patriarchal culture.

Today, Christians in South Africa and around the world have the privilege and responsibility of continuing this mission through both personal transformation and social engagement. By challenging harmful cultural attitudes, supporting survivors, holding perpetrators accountable, and modeling equitable relationships, believers become agents of God’s redemptive work in a society wounded by violence.

This work requires both courage and humility—courage to confront injustice even when culturally normalized, and humility to acknowledge where religious teachings have sometimes enabled abuse rather than preventing it. It demands both spiritual passion and professional excellence as Christians bring their faith into every sphere of influence.

As we pursue gender justice in South Africa and globally, we offer the world a glimpse of God’s kingdom where “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female” (Galatians 3:28) because all bear his image with equal dignity. Through this witness, we proclaim not only with words but with actions that the gospel truly is good news for the oppressed—a message of deliverance, healing, and restoration for all of humanity.

By understanding our work for gender justice for both biological men and women as participation in the missio Dei, we recognize that we are not simply implementing human programs or advancing social causes—we are joining God’s cosmic mission of redemption. This theological grounding gives our efforts deeper meaning and sustaining power, reminding us that we work not alone but as co-laborers with God in bringing his shalom to a broken world.

 

Sources

• Bosch, D. (1991). Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. Orbis Books, pg 390.
• Buqa, W. (2022). “Gender-based violence in South Africa: A narrative reflection”, HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 78(1),a7754. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v78i1.7754
• Gender Links. (2021). “The War at Home: Gender Based Violence Indicators Project.” Johannesburg: Gender Links Publication. https://genderlinks.org.za/what-we-do/justice/research/the-war-at-home/
• Dlamini, Zamantshali. (2024). “Claiming church as a space for healing and re-authoring pastoral support for those abused in intimate partner relationships.” Stellenbosch Theological Journal, 10(1), 1-18.  DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17570/stj.2024.v10n1.13  
• Phiri, I. A., & Nadar, S. (2018). “Going Through the Fire with Eyes Wide Open: African Women’s Perspective on Indigenous Knowledge, Patriarchy and Sexuality.” Journal for the Study of Religion, 31(2), 208-229.https://www.jstor.org/stable/24764316
• Tearfund. (2023). “Transforming Masculinities: Engaging Faith Leaders in Promoting Gender Justice.” Impact Report 2022-2023. Durban: Tearfund Publication.  See also: Transforming Masculinities: ending SGBV
• West, G. O. (2018). “The Bible and/as the Lynching Tree: A South African Perspective.” Missionalia, 46(2), 189-209.https://journals.co.za/doi/epdf/10.7832/46-2-312