South Africa says gender-based violence and femicide are a national disaster

Ronald Ozie Lamola told the Assembly that in November 2025 South Africa designated gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster and that dealing with the crisis requires "exceptional measures." He asked international partners to "continue to fight this through technology and other means that must support our measures to fight gender based violence in our country."

Lamola framed the classification as a call for international cooperation to provide tools and support for prevention, protection and response. He said the scope of action should include both domestic legal measures and international partnership on technology and resources to support victims and enforcement.