The Fight for Change – A Reflection on 2024
by Sabrina W. – Founder of Women For Change
As 2024 draws close, I reflect on a year marked by heartbreak, resilience, and an urgent call for change. Since founding Women For Change in 2016, I’ve been deeply aware of the harsh realities of gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa. Yet, even with this understanding, 2024 has tested my team and me in unimaginable ways.
The year began with the early release of Oscar Pistorius on parole. On 6 January 2024, Oscar became a free man after serving only eight years instead of the complete sentence of 13 years for his crime. This decision sent shockwaves across the world, starkly illustrating the leniency with which our justice system treats crimes against women. Oscar’s parole was not just about one individual’s release – it was a statement to the world that, in our country, even the most heinous acts against women are met with minimal consequences.
I have been in contact with Reeva’s family’s attorney for years and know, without a doubt, how deeply this decision hurt the family. But it wasn’t just Reeva’s family who felt the pain. Many survivors and families seeking justice saw this as a painful reminder of just how far we still have to go.
In the first two weeks of January 2024, the brutality against women reached heartbreaking levels. Our beautiful sisters like Tania Msane Zungu, 36, killed by her husband in Pinetown; Vuyolethu Ziwele, just 14 years old, shot and killed in Soshanguve; and Nyikiwe Miranda Chauke, 21, murdered by her boyfriend in Limpopo became not only tragic statistics but stories of unimaginable loss.
Amid this wave of violence, a chilling trend on TikTok began to surface – young girls and women sharing that their greatest fear was ending up on the Women For Change page.
This broke me. I’ve always worked to make our platforms places of advocacy, solidarity, and hope. Yet, in the past year, they’ve become a reflection of the violence and injustices that plague our society. Seeing young girls express such a profound fear – a fear of becoming another victim of femicide, another story on our page – was devastating. It was a stark reminder of the weight of the work we do and of how deeply entrenched this violence has become in the lives of women and girls in South Africa.
On 19 February 2024, little Joslin went missing, and an entire country searched for her. The arrests of those closest to her, including her own mother, added layers of betrayal and grief. Despite exhaustive efforts, there is still no trace of Joslin. Her story serves as a painful reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by thousands of children and the systemic failures that allow these tragedies to continue.
On a global scale, a seemingly simple question, “Would you rather be in the woods with a man or a bear?” sparked a profound and disturbing discussion. While men once again found themselves in denial, women worldwide shared that they would rather choose the bear – a reflection of the constant fear and vigilance that defines our lives. This viral moment highlighted that women’s reality in South Africa is part of a larger, global issue.
Closer to home, a horrifying series of attacks on women using Bolt, InDrive, and Uber services underscored the urgent need for stricter measures to protect passengers. Reports of harassment, assault, and rape revealed yet another area where women are unsafe. Over the past months, I’ve worked behind the scenes to support victims of these e-hailing crimes and advocate for solutions with companies like Bolt. I remain committed to holding them accountable and pushing for better safety measures in the e-hailing industry.
In May, I made one of the hardest decisions since founding Women For Change – I published an urgent appeal for funding. After years of navigating constant hardship and doing this work mostly alone, I had to admit that I couldn’t carry this burden on my own any longer. The response from our community was so amazing, raising nearly R150,000 on our BackABuddy Campaign.
Your generosity was not just humbling – it was life-saving for many. It gave me the means to keep going and get some part-time support. However, with the high demand for assistance and the constant growth of our platforms, our future remains uncertain without sustainable funding. Our current donations will sustain us until March 2025, but beyond that, the future of Women For Change hangs in the balance.
Despite another Women’s Day, another 16 Days of Activism, and countless speeches and campaigns by our Government, the femicide rate in South Africa increased by an alarming 33.8% compared to the previous year. Between April 2023 and March 2024, 5,578 women were murdered – double the number from just two years ago. Each one is a life stolen, a family shattered, and a community left grieving.
Throughout the year, I guided hundreds of families and created more than 270 memorial posts, sharing their stories, raising awareness about their tragic deaths, and supporting their loved ones.
Thousands of survivors reached out to us for help this year, each carrying a story of pain, courage, and resilience. We stood with them, offering solidarity, guidance, understanding, and referrals – doing everything we could to be a beacon of hope in their darkest moments. However, with more than 100 individuals reaching out to us daily, this work’s emotional and mental toll has become immense. Every story we hear, and every message we read becomes a part of us.
Being confronted with the relentless realities of GBVF every single day is already devastating. But to also face violent threats, hatred, and hostility for simply standing up for what is right can feel unbearable at times. Some days, it’s hard to find the strength to keep going. Yet, I do – because this community matters. You deserve to be heard, to be supported, and to know that you are not alone.
The international downfall of figures like P. Diddy contrasted sharply with our entertainment industry. In October, we called the government to stop Chris Brown from performing in South Africa after 16 Days of Activism, and we submitted a petition, signed by over 52,000 people, which was ignored by the Department of Home Affairs, Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and Big Concerts. Instead, we were met with mockery, harassment, and abuse. Watching stadiums filled with cheering fans for a known abuser was disheartening. Still, we take pride in the crucial conversations this campaign sparked and the global attention it brought to the GBV crisis in South Africa.
In recent weeks, the violence has reached horrifying new lows. Thousands of men openly supported a murderer who slaughtered his fiancée Ntobeko Mandosi Cele, 25, and shared images of her lifeless body on Facebook. Just days after the brutal murders of Bongeka Makhathini, 21, and her son Okuhle, 3, followed by Chesnay Keppler, killed by her police officer boyfriend, have left us shattered. Some days, it feels almost impossible to breathe, let alone hold on to hope.
The pain endured by our sisters is all too real, and it is devastating to see so many women feel forced to publicly share their most harrowing stories just to be heard and believed. A new TikTok trend, “IDidNotKillHim,” emerged, highlighting their struggles and resilience in the face of unimaginable suffering. Once again, I am heartbroken.
As we step into 2025, the future of Women For Change remains uncertain. The need for our work has never been more urgent, yet the weight of our responsibilities has never felt more overwhelming. I am utterly exhausted. The immense responsibility and relentless demands of this work surpassed my limits long ago.
Once again, I urgently appeal to the private sector and the government to step up and allocate the critical funding needed to fight GBVF effectively. Without the ability to employ a dedicated, full-time team to sustain and grow this organisation, I will have no choice but to step back in a few weeks. I can no longer endure working more hours than I sleep each night. This fight is too big for our small team.
It is clear that the weight of this fight cannot rest on the shoulders of Women For Change; it demands a collective, unwavering commitment from every part of society. It requires each of us to stand together to push harder because we cannot give up.
To my most beautiful team, Tumi and Bulelwa: thank you for your incredible strength, resilience, and dedication. Thank you for standing tall when it seemed almost impossible to keep going. I love you. To the Women For Change board, advisors, and legal team, your guidance and unwavering support have been my lifeline during the most challenging moments of this year. I appreciate you so much.
And to our incredible community, activists, supporters, and donors: Your efforts, voices, and resources have been the light that cuts through the darkness. Together, we’ve created hope where there was despair and shown that we have the power to move mountains. You are the reason we can keep going, and I will forever be thankful for every one of our almost 500,000 followers, who have become the strongest force imaginable.