Introduction
The women of Eswatini are crying out. We are exhausted. Exhausted from mourning, exhausted from comforting families who have lost daughters, sisters, mothers, and children, exhausted from waking up every morning to another headline announcing that yet another woman has been raped, murdered, or brutally assaulted. Gender-based violence (GBV) has become a daily reality that shapes how women live, move, work and raise their children. It is no longer a campaign slogan or a seasonal discussion during the 16 Days of Activism. It is a national crisis that is stealing lives, dignity, and freedom from women and girls across Eswatini. Women should never have to beg for the right to live. Yet here we are, demanding urgency, accountability, and justice in a country where our pain has been normalized and our safety disregarded.
Root Causes of GBV
While patriarchy and cultural norms perpetuate violence, one of the deepest root causes of GBV in Eswatini is poverty and unemployment. Out of desperation, many people find themselves in situations that cost them their lives. Hunger and economic hardship create environments where women are more vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, and violence. Poverty strips away options, forcing women and girls into unsafe relationships and dependence on men who may become abusers. Addressing GBV therefore requires not only confronting cultural attitudes but also tackling the economic inequalities that fuel desperation.
Cases of Gender-Based Violence
Behind every statistic is a life that mattered, a woman with dreams, a girl who deserved a future, a mother whose children now grow up without her.
- A pastor used Facebook to lure girls and women. He invited them to his home, took them to his church, raped them, and killed them. When arrested, he led authorities to where he hid the bodies of four young women were discovered. This case shattered communities, exposing how even those entrusted with spiritual leadership can become predators.
- The Child Survivor Case: A child has been raped repeatedly by her own father who is a teacher since 2021. Despite the gravity of the crime, the father was granted bail and remains free. Instead of rallying around the survivor, family members turned against her, blaming her for reporting the abuse jeopardizing his father’s job. This betrayal highlights the toxic culture of silence and victim-blaming that continues to shield perpetrators while isolating survivors.
These cases are not a once of incident but a recurring pattern that shows the nature of the problem. Every day another family receives a phone call that changes their lives forever. Every day another child loses innocence. Every day another woman becomes another statistic.
Intervention
Despite the growing crisis, the national response has been painfully inadequate. Reports are launched, speeches are delivered, statistics are presented but women continue to die.
The Eswatini Royal Police recently organized a GBV Indaba, supposedly to address the crisis. Yet before the event, participants received phone calls instructing them on what to say and warning them not to speak about politics. This intimidation silenced voices and stripped the Indaba of authenticity. Instead of being a platform for truth and solutions, it became another exercise in control, leaving survivors and activists unable to express the depth of their pain or the urgency of their demands.
When survivors lose confidence in the justice system, many choose silence. When communities believe perpetrators will not face meaningful consequences, reporting becomes even more difficult. A justice system that does not inspire confidence becomes another barrier rather than a place of protection.
The Broader Impact
Violence against women is not just a women’s issue. It is a national development issue, a human rights issue, a justice issue, and a governance issue.
As rural women, we understand that violence reaches far beyond the individual survivor. When a woman is killed, children lose mothers. Farms lose producers. Communities lose leaders. Families lose caregivers. Rural economies suffer because women are the backbone of food production, community care, and household survival. Violence therefore weakens the very foundation upon which communities are built.
We refuse to accept that this is normal. We refuse to accept that every week another woman will be buried while the nation moves on. We refuse to accept that our daughters must inherit fear instead of freedom.
What SRWA Demands
- Political Will and Accountability: Government must treat GBV as a national emergency. Protecting women cannot be reactive; it must be proactive, with clear commitments and accountability mechanisms.
- Adequate Resources: There should be a budget allocated specifically to Gender based violence. Survivor-centred services must be funded and accessible, including shelters, counselling, and medical support. Rural women must not be excluded from these services.
- Effective Policing: Police must investigate swiftly and thoroughly, without intimidation or bias. Survivors must be able to report crimes without fear of retaliation or dismissal.
- Justice System Reform: Courts must deliver sentences that reflect the gravity of GBV crimes. Leniency for perpetrators sends a dangerous message that women’s lives are disposable.
- Community Education: Patriarchy must be challenged at its roots. Boys must be taught never to rape and communities must stop blaming survivors. Violence must be confronted not excused. Victims should not be questioned on what they were wearing or what they did to the perpetrators for them to be abused
- Freedom of Expression: Platforms like the GBV Indaba must allow citizens to speak openly without threats. Silencing voices only perpetuates violence.
Conclusion
The burden of ending violence cannot continue to rest on women. Women have marched, protested, spoken, organized, educated, demanded justice, and buried their own. What more must women do before those with power fulfil their responsibility?
We are not asking for sympathy. We are demanding urgency, accountability, and justice. Above all, we are demanding the right to exist without fear.
Women should never have to beg for the right to live. Yet until Eswatini confronts GBV with the seriousness it deserves, our cries will continue. And we will not stop crying out until justice is done.
Sources of verification
