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Ntombizodwa Dlamini, Zolile Khumalo, Siam Lee and Karabo Mokoena are but a few of the most recent intimate femicide victims, and the tragic list seems to grow every day. A report by Africa Check revealed that the global rate of femicide for 2015 was 2,4 per 100 000 women. South Africa’s rate for the same year was 9,6 per 100 000 women — a chilling four times higher.

Have state and society become complicit in the creation of an environment that is hostile towards females and in the silencing of their voices? These and further questions were discussed while potential ways of creating a more “gender-just” society, were put forward.

The objective of the forum was to be achieved through gathering organizations that deal with gender-based violence, community-based organizations, religious leaders, political leaders, media representatives and ordinary community members.

Speaker Nonkululeko Hlongwane was leading the conversation. Political analyst and scholar, Mr Lukhona Mnguni, as well as the Commission on Gender Equality (KZN), joined the event in order to help frame the discussions for the day.

Multiple individuals mentioned the different interventions that they seek to hold in their community as well as improve the ones that they currently work with to tackle the issues of femicide and gender-based violence in their respective communities.