Femicides on the rise in South Africa

Two more women have been found dead in Johannesburg this weekend, bringing the number of women killed in a single municipality to 11 in just two months. Most of the other victims were in their 20s and 30s, with some found partially undressed and showing signs of sexual assault, raising fears that a serial killer could be responsible. Police have offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspected killer or killers.

The deaths have sparked a national outcry over violence against women in South Africa, which has one of the world’s highest rates of gender-based violence. Tegan Snayman, Research, Campaigns and Communications Assistant at Amnesty International South Africa, shares further insights.