Demystifying femicide in higher education institutions in South Africa

Deliberate killing of women has been on the rise in the last decade globally. In South Africa, females are reportedly murdered or killed in public places such as the universities. Higher education institution traditionally provided a safe environment for women's advancement and empowerment, how...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gender & behaviour 2020-04, Vol.18 (1), p.15118-15135
Main Authors: Ndlovu, W., Obadire, O.S., Nyalungu, P., Mashifane, D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
College students
Colleges & universities
Commodification
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Data analysis
Domestic violence
Empowerment
Females
Femicide
Gender
Gender-based Violence
Higher education
Homicide
Institutions
Killing
Learning
Men
Murders & murder attempts
Offenders
Patriarchy
Penalties
Public spaces
Rape
Resilience
Social cohesion
Social environment
Social norms
Society
Students
Substance abuse
Universities
Women
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Summary:Deliberate killing of women has been on the rise in the last decade globally. In South Africa, females are reportedly murdered or killed in public places such as the universities. Higher education institution traditionally provided a safe environment for women's advancement and empowerment, however the current spate of violence set to undermine and reset the efforts of women empowerment for better resilience. Emerging, increasing and unpredictable cases of gruesome killing of female students in higher education institutions require a thorough interrogation of barbaric behaviour and how to mitigate against it. Semi-structured one-onone interviews and focus group discussion (FGD) were conducted in an attempt to get a clear understanding of the social context of femicide on university campuses. Data analysis was done using contents and thematic methods to unpack the phenomenon of femicide in higher institutions of learning. Data was collected from (n =142) students in 11 FGDs. Atlas.ti version 8.1 qualitative data analysis tool was used to enhance the analysis. This study showed that majority of the killings are believed to be perpetrated by men. Femicide was thought to be caused by factors that include cultural norms; women's position in the society and natural vulnerabilities, substance abuse, unfaithfulness and women commodification. The study recommends that higher education institutions should draw a comprehensive strategy for improved security on campus including emergency response plans as well as introduction of harsher penalties for the offenders.
ISSN:1596-9231
DOI:10.10520/ejc-genbeh-v18-n1-a39