CIVIL SOCIETY UNMUTED COALITION CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION TO PROTECT WOMEN AND GIRLS

15 September 2026

CIVIL SOCIETY UNMUTED COALITION CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION TO PROTECT WOMEN AND GIRLS

The Civil Society Unmuted Coalition South Africa expresses its deep concern and outrage at the continued violence against women and girls in our country, particularly following the recent discovery of several women's bodies in and around the East Rand and Kempton Park areas of Gauteng.

As a nation, we cannot continue to normalize the fear, trauma, and loss experienced by women and families every day. The latest incidents have once again highlighted the urgent need for coordinated and decisive action to address the ongoing crisis of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF). Women should be able to go to work, exercise, travel, and participate in community life without fear for their safety.

We acknowledge the formation of a multidisciplinary police task team to investigate these cases and urge law enforcement agencies to ensure that investigations are thorough, transparent, and expedited. Communities deserve answers, and families deserve justice.

The Coalition further calls on government at all levels to strengthen preventative measures, improve victim support services, increase police visibility in high-risk areas, and ensure the full implementation of existing policies and legislation aimed at combating GBVF. While South Africa has made important legislative commitments, the continued loss of women's lives demonstrates that implementation remains inadequate.

We stand in solidarity with the families who have lost their loved ones and with all survivors of violence. We also call upon communities, civil society organisations, faith-based institutions, traditional leaders, and the private sector to work together in building safer communities for women and children.

The Civil Society Unmuted Coalition South Africa reaffirms its commitment to amplifying the voices of women, advocating for justice, and supporting initiatives that promote dignity, equality, and safety for all.

Enough is enough. Every woman has the right to live free from fear and violence.

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Issued by:

Civil Society Unmuted Coalition South Africa

Ms Bandile Mdlalose
Deputy Secretary General/ National Head of Communications

For media enquiries:

Dimakatso Babe
Gauteng Chairperson
Mobile: 073 905 9786
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Civil Society Unmuted Coalition S.A

Khumbulani Mdluli
Gauteng Communication Lead
Mobile: 0747553592
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Civil Society Unmuted Coalition S.A