100-day-challenge

In Drakenstein Municipality, a series of community events has offered more than just activities on a calendar. Local government, civil society, and residents are working together to change the conditions that allow violence, inequality, and neglect to persist. Through its participation in the 100-Day Challenge, Drakenstein is creating the groundwork for a more responsive community.

In Stellenbosch, residents, practitioners and officials are working side by side to deepen local responses to gender based violence and femicide (GBVF). The 100-Day Challenge team officially began their journey on 15 April, and celebrated day 100 on 22 July 2025. Their work brought together a wide range of partners and sectors, including law enforcement, social services, health care, education, local government and civil society organisations to increase access to justice and support for survivors.

In Smithfield, a small town in South Africa’s Thabo Mofutsanyana District, a group of local stakeholders is working together to reduce the number of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) cases that are withdrawn before they reach the courts. Their focus is to build the kind of public accountability that gives survivors the confidence to see their cases through and helps restore trust in the justice process.

In a recent development, Stellenbosch Municipality inaugurated its first Junior Town Council (JTC) at the end of May. This initiative aims to integrate young people into local governance structures.

In 2024, Majuba TVET College joined the national End GBVF 100-Day Challenge for the first time with a strong commitment to increasing awareness and reporting of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) across its campuses. This year, Majuba TVET College is expanding its impact with new, focused goals across three campuses as part of their continued participation in the End GBVF 100-Day Challenges.

For many survivors of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), leaving an abusive situation is only the beginning. What follows is often even more daunting – navigating life without a stable income, access to information, or a support system. It’s in this vulnerable space that too many fall through the cracks.

Rand West City Local Municipality is rising to the occasion. Through their End GBVF 100-Day Challenges, the municipality has committed to reducing GBVF incidents in hot zones by 25%, focusing directly on dismantling the drivers of violence, namely, gangsterism and substance abuse.

Understanding that youth are a particularly vulnerable group that is affected by gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), many End GBVF 100-Day Challenge teams are working closely with young people to address GBVF at a grassroots level.

As a new wave of 100-Day Challenges begins, Limpopo’s courts are once again demonstrating what it means to rethink justice for survivors of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). In a recent letter to regional and district teams, Regional Court President Jakkie Wessels invited courts to take their efforts a step further, beyond improvements alone.

In Stellenbosch, the local 100-Day Challenge team is centering their strategy around school-based interventions that are both preventative and educational. They aim to do this by reducing incidents of bullying in schools – a focus that aligns with both Child Safety and Protection Month and the broader goals of the GBVF response framework.