South African Women Trun to Self Defence Training Against Gender Violence

Women across South Africa are increasingly turning to firearms training and martial arts classes as a form of personal protection amid persistently high levels of gender-based violence, one of the country’s most pressing social crises.

The trend reflects growing frustration among women over safety and law enforcement capacity, particularly as official statistics show that South Africa’s femicide rate is five to six times the global average, according to UN Women.

Training sessions at shooting ranges and self-defense gyms are now drawing women and girls from a wide age range, including teenagers and retirees, who say they want practical tools to defend themselves in a country where violence against women remains widespread.

At a firearms training course near Bronkhorstspruit, an agricultural town outside Pretoria, women line up at a shooting range to fire 9 mm pistols under the supervision of female instructor Claire van der Westhuizen.

Participants range in age from 13 to 65, practicing defensive shooting drills designed to simulate real-life scenarios.

“Check your grip, check your line of sight,” van der Westhuizen tells the trainees as they reload their pistols during a session at the Lone Operator shooting range.

The program includes exercises such as firing while lying on the ground or reacting under simulated stress conditions - techniques intended to replicate situations where women might face violent attacks.

South Africa’s gun laws remain restrictive. Individuals must be at least 21 years old to legally own a firearm for self-defense and must pass background checks and firearm competency tests before receiving a license.

South Africa’s gender-based violence crisis is among the most severe in the world. According to UN Women, approximately 15 women are killed every day in the country due to gender-based violence.

Research conducted in 2022 found that more than 35 percent of South African women aged 18 and older have experienced physical or sexual violence during their lifetime. In many cases, the perpetrator was an intimate partner.

Women’s rights advocates say these statistics place South Africa among the most dangerous countries globally for women outside active war zones.

“That is how bad it is. We are competing with conflict countries,” said Mpiwa Mangwiro-Tsanga, policy and advocacy manager at the organization Sonke Gender Justice.

The severity of the crisis led President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare violence against women and girls a national disaster in November, allowing authorities to mobilize emergency resources.

Ramaphosa acknowledged the scale of the problem in a national statement.

“It is a shame that our country has the dubious distinction of having one of the world’s highest levels of violence against women and girls.”

For many women, self-defense training is not only about learning physical techniques but also about rebuilding confidence after trauma.

Sunette du Toit, a 51-year-old grandmother, said she began firearm training after surviving a home invasion by five attackers who tied her up and looted her home. “I was not in a position to defend myself at that point,” she said.

Du Toit explained that learning to use a firearm helped her regain a sense of control and security.

She said “I had to do this for myself to gain my confidence back to be able to move in public, and even in my own house, without feeling vulnerable”, describing the training group as “a family of support.”

Not all women are choosing firearms. In Johannesburg, others are turning to martial arts such as Brazilian jiujitsu, focusing on techniques designed to escape attacks rather than confront them.

“With the rise in numbers of gender-based violence, it’s good for you to be able to defend yourself, even if it’s just to be able to get away,” said Tatiana Leyka, a 33-year-old participant.

Instructors say the goal is not necessarily to overpower attackers but to improve awareness and response speed.

Still, activists warn that the growing reliance on self-defense highlights systemic failures in protecting women. Mangwiro-Tsanga argued that the burden of safety should not fall solely on victims. “Instead of dealing with perpetrators, it burdens women and girls who are already burdened.”

South Africa’s justice system has also struggled to secure convictions. According to Amnesty International, only about 8 percent of reported rape cases in 2021 resulted in convictions, with many cases dropped or never prosecuted.

Despite these challenges, many women continue to seek practical strategies to protect themselves while broader institutional reforms remain slow.