Voices of Change: Lisa Vetten calls for long-term action and accountability in South Africa’s fight against GBV
Researcher and GBV expert Lisa Vetten says South Africa’s response to gender based violence must move beyond declarations and focus on long-term systems that protect women, children and survivors.
Speaking to Heidi Giokos on Voices of Change, Vetten reflects on the country’s decision to declare gender based violence a national disaster and what meaningful action should look like in practice.
“The state of disaster was what you might call performance of politics,” she says, while stressing the importance of practical interventions that improve survivor safety and accountability.
Vetten highlights the need for stronger institutional capacity, better support systems and more reliable data to help shape effective responses to violence against women and children.
“If the police can’t count, that has implications for what is the budget that they’re looking for in order to be able to address the problem,” she says.
The discussion also explores how gender-based violence is often treated as a short term crisis instead of a long term social and structural challenge that requires sustained intervention.
Vetten explains that while criminal justice responses remain important, prevention, education, housing support, social services and community interventions all play a critical role in helping people move towards safety and stability.
“We overestimate the criminal justice system to actually solve GBV,” she says.
Then there is the emotional exhaustion many South Africans feel when confronting repeated stories of violence and loss. Vetten reflects on the dangers of an “attention economy” where outrage fades quickly, often before lasting change can happen.
Despite the challenges, the conversation remains grounded in the possibility of progress through practical accountability and informed public action.
“Actually, things can change if we are smart about it,” she says.
Voices of Change continues to create space for thoughtful, survivor-centred conversations that examine the realities behind South Africa’s most urgent social issues while focusing on dignity, accountability and pathways toward change.
Catch up on all Voices of Change episodes here: https://www.enca.com/voices-change-podcast