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Proverbs form a vital component of African indigenous knowledge systems, embedding moral guidance, social norms, and intergenerational wisdom. This article offers a contemporary reinterpretation of the Setswana proverb “Monna ke selepe, wa adingwa” (“a man is an axe; he is borrowed”) within the context of gender-based violence (GBV), intimate partner violence, and father absenteeism in South Africa. Traditionally linked to male mobility within extended family networks, the proverb is reframed as a metaphor for the transmission of positive masculine values, ethical guidance, and communal mentorship rather than the physical presence or ownership of men. Drawing on an integrative literature review that synthesises scholarship on Indigenous Knowledge Systems, critical and positive masculinity theories, and strengths-based social work approaches, the article demonstrates how culturally resonant symbols can bridge tradition and contemporary practice. Findings highlight the underutilisation of indigenous narratives in GBV prevention, the enduring influence of hegemonic masculinities, and the interconnectedness of father absence with cycles of violence and relational instability. The discussion advances practical implications for social work, proposing the integration of proverb-based dialogues into community interventions, fatherhood programmes, and mentorship initiatives. By positioning the “axe” as a transferable resource of wisdom and responsibility, the article contributes to the decolonisation of social work practice and offers a culturally grounded pathway toward non-violent, accountable, and relational masculinities that support GBV prevention and strengthen communal care.

Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a major human rights violation and a serious public health concern affecting women worldwide. Approximately one in three women globally experiences physical or sexual violence during their lifetime. In South Africa, the prevalence of gender-based violence is particularly high, exposing many women to significant physical, psychological, and emotional harm. Female nurses are a vulnerable group because they may experience violence in both their personal lives and professional environments. Their frequent interaction with patients, patients' families, and the broader public can increase their risk of meeting violent or aggressive behaviour within healthcare settings. Exposure to such experiences may negatively affect nurses' psychological well-being, job performance, and overall quality of life. The study explores the psychological effects of exposure to gender-based violence among female nurses in South Africa. The study aimed at examining how exposure to GBV influenced nurses' mental and emotional well-being as well as their ability to function effectively in their professional roles. The study adopted a qualitative desktop research approach to examine existing literature related to gender-based violence and its psychological impact on female nurses. Relevant peer-reviewed journal articles, academic books, government reports, and policy documents were reviewed and analysed. The data collected were analysed using thematic analysis to find key patterns and themes within the literature. The study looked to enhance understanding of the psychological challenges faced by female nurses and to highlight the importance of workplace interventions, support systems, and policies that promote nurses' safety and mental well-being in healthcare environments. Institutional Review Board Statement: Ethical review and approval were waived for this study because the research does not deal with vulnerable groups or sensitive issues.

Gender-based violence undermines women's safety, dignity, and socioeconomic participation, particularly in rural communities where access to formal protection services may be constrained. This study examined how the Lunungwi Royal Council contributes to a culturally grounded rural protection ecosystem in Thulamela Local Municipality, South Africa. Guided by Afrocentricity, Sankofa, ecosystem theory, and collaborative governance, the study adopted an interpretive qualitative case-study design. Nine participants were purposively selected, comprising six Royal Council members, a community-based participant, a young representative, and an Indigenous knowledge holder. Data were generated through individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings indicate that the Council provides culturally accessible reporting, temporary safety, mediation, moral education, and connections with community policing and social-service structures. Its effectiveness is constrained by limited professional training, unclear institutional boundaries, informal referral arrangements, inadequate documentation, social pressure, and women's economic dependence. The study proposes a Culturally Grounded Rural Protection Ecosystem Framework integrating Indigenous governance, community protection, statutory, professional services, economic empowerment, and coordinated accountability. Cultural legitimacy can strengthen GBV responses when combined with survivor-centred procedures, constitutional accountability, and women's socioeconomic agency.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is widely recognised as a serious human rights issue; however, the experiences of male victims remain largely overlooked and underreported. This study explores the silent and often ignored reality of GBV against men within the Polokwane Municipality of Limpopo Province, South Africa. While dominant narratives frequently position GBV as violence perpetrated by men against women, this research sheds light on the growing, yet muted, phenomenon of male victimisation. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were gathered from ten purposively selected participants through semi-structured interviews, including an in-depth session with a key informant. Thematic analysis was employed to interpret the findings. The study reveals that male victims frequently suffer psychological abuse, emotional neglect, and social isolation. Deeply entrenched gender norms, societal expectations of masculinity, and fear of stigma significantly hinder men from seeking help. Furthermore, a lack of targeted support services and a predominant focus of existing GBV frameworks on women and children leaves male survivors marginalised. This research emphasises the need for inclusive and gender-sensitive interventions, including awareness campaigns to challenge stereotypes and the development of support systems responsive to male experiences. By highlighting these gaps, the study contributes to a broader and more equitable understanding of GBV, advocating for policies that support all survivors, regardless of gender.

Gender-based violence (GBV) against women is one of the most widespread and long-established social issues in South Africa that is conditioned by historical, cultural, and structural factors that have created a normalized environment of male dominance and accepted different types of gendered violence. This study provides a sociological explanation of GBV in terms of power and patriarchy and structural inequality area and how these interconnected factors create and maintain violence in intimate relationships, families, and the broader social institution. Using the feminist theory, intersectionality and sociological theory of power relations, the research questions the role of cultural norms, economic dependence, socialisation process as well as institutional failures in causing high incidences of violence against women. However, even after the enactment of progressive laws, including Domestic Violence Act, Sexual Offences Act, etc, the lived conditions of women still portray the vulnerabilities of the system to historical disparities, deep-rooted patriarchal philosophies and gender hierarchies. A qualitative research design was used to gather the data, where in-depth interviews, focus group and documentary analysis of women who have experienced GBV, community members and key informants including social workers, activists and legal practitioners were used to collect data. It shows that the patriarchal systems of power exist on a variety of levels family, community, cultural and institutional to naturalize violence, victimize the victim, and absolve the criminal. Results participants affirm the importance of social norms of masculinity, poverty, inequality in access to resources, and inadequate institutional responses in perpetuating fear, dependence, and subsequent exposure to violence within women. In addition, the study demonstrates how the combination of poverty, race, rurality, and social support services worsen the vulnerability of women, which leads to a reflexive relationship in which violence turns into an individual and societal problem. This study concludes that GBV in South Africa cannot be examined solely as the instances of violence but should be examined as the expression of unequal power relations, which can be found within social structures. The solution to GBV would therefore have to be multi-level and involves efforts to confront patriarchal norms, foster community accountability, bolster legal protection, and increase socio-economic opportunities of women. The results add to the existing pool of sociological research on the topic of gender and violence, providing an important insight into the reasons why GBV continues to be a problem and the changes in the structure that are required in order to mitigate it.

Domestic violence remains one of the most widespread social crises that not only imposes silence on the survivors but also hides the transformational potential inherent in their accounts of perseverance, spirituality, and emotional healing. The purpose of this enquiry is to critique a method for examining how survivors map along these pathways and how spiritual resources, emotional strength, and personal narrative reconfiguration are pertinent to their recovery, using the desktop method.  The study entailed an in-depth review of the existing academic literature, policy manuals, and theoretical frameworks on the problems of trauma, spirituality, and healing of victims of domestic violence.  According to the results, the healing process experienced by most survivors is a multidimensional phenomenon that is based on the synthesis of spiritual practices, emotional strength, and identity restoration. Supportive communities, faith traditions, and cultural settings have also been noted in the available literature as service-oriented in assisting survivors to communicate their unpleasant pasts.  The lessons teach that healing is not an individual process but rather a shared one that takes place within a collective, and that it is shaped by the resources of social and spiritual support that survivors possess.  The importance of this study is that it can help appreciate the role of survivors' spiritual and emotional journeys in influencing the practitioner's actions at the policymaking level. The research would be useful in providing practical advice to the academia, religious leaders, and policymakers who can guide their actions in establishing a mechanism of adequate provision to address the holistic needs of victims of domestic violence.

Domestic violence remains a pervasive social and criminological challenge in South Africa, particularly in rural and semi-rural communities where structural inequalities, patriarchal norms and limited institutional support heighten women’s vulnerability. While domestic violence research has traditionally positioned women as victims, emerging evidence indicates that some female survivors transition into perpetrators. This qualitative study, conducted in the Seshego policing area of Limpopo Province, investigates the contributory factors underpinning this transition. Using purposive and snowball sampling, data were collected from the Twelve (25) women who had moved from victimhood to perpetration, five subject-matter experts, and ten decided domestic violence case files. The data were analysed thematically to uncover the intersecting personal, relational, socio-economic and cultural forces that shape this trajectory. Guided by Trauma Theory, Strain Theory, Feminist Theory and Social Learning Theory, the study develops a Conceptual Criminological Model that illustrates how unresolved psychological trauma, coercive control, economic dependency, patriarchal ideologies and intergenerational exposure to violence converge to influence women’s pathways into reactive or defensive offending. The findings reveal that women’s violent actions are rarely premeditated; rather, they often emerge from accumulated trauma, persistent institutional failures, limited access to support services and constrained agency within oppressive environments and this study highlights critical gaps in policing responses, justice-system implementation, economic opportunities and trauma-informed care in rural contexts such as Seshego. It recommends multi-sectoral interventions including strengthened legal enforcement, community-based awareness programmes, culturally sensitive prevention strategies, trauma-informed psychosocial services and economic empowerment initiatives aimed at reducing women’s dependency on abusive partners. By centring women’s lived experiences and examining the structural conditions that shape their actions, this research contributes to criminological scholarship and supports the development of holistic, context-specific strategies to prevent domestic violence and break cycles of intergenerational harm in South Africa.

Gender Based Violence (GBV) is a significant public health issue that has been extensively researched, particularly in relation to women and girls. However, there is limited research on the psychological consequences of GBV experienced by men, especially in rural African contexts. This qualitative research explored the psychological impacts of GBV on men in rural Zimbabwe. Fifteen participants were purposively selected to participate in focus group discussions. This study involved married men and women aged 20 to 45, encompassing both employed and unemployed individuals. It was completed over two weeks, facing time constraints due to commitments of both researchers and participants. Content thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings indicate that men in rural Zimbabwe face various forms of GBV, including physical abuse, psychological and emotional abuse. The data reveal that the psychological consequences of this violence can be severe, with some men experiencing depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and even death. The study recommends that, there is need for greater awareness, support services, and counselling to address the unique challenges faced by male survivors of GBV in this context. The research further recommends calling for further research to better understand the gendered dynamics and help-seeking behaviours of men experiencing GBV in rural African communities. Developing culturally appropriate interventions and dismantling harmful gender norms are identified as critical steps toward supporting the mental health and well-being of male GBV survivors.

This paper investigates the role of traditional leaders (Mahosi) in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in the Vhembe District of Limpopo in South Africa. Grounded by Community-based social change theory (CBSC) and informed by gender theory and it explains how the Mahosi are dealing with GBV within cultural and social constructs of their own environments. Through qualitative interviews with ten Mahosi across five municipalities, the research identifies three key strategies: promoting community dialogue, applying cultural accountability mechanisms, and collaborating with formal service providers. While some Mahosi demonstrate transformative leadership by adapting traditional norms and supporting survivors, others reinforce patriarchal structures that may undermine justice and silence victims. The study also reflects on how hegemonic masculinity and gendered power relations influence these responses. Findings suggest that traditional leadership can be both a facilitator of justice and a barrier to gender equality, depending on the level of critical engagement and partnership with broader systems. The study contributes to ongoing discussions on culturally relevant GBV interventions and emphasises the need for capacity-building and policy alignment to ensure that traditional authority supports, rather than hinders, efforts to eliminate GBV.