South Africa is facing a heartbreaking and unacceptable crisis of gender-based violence, domestic violence, and femicide. The recent murders of women have once again shown how serious this crisis has become, and how many women are being forced to live with fear simply because of their gender. Women are constantly being told to change their behaviour to stay safe — to avoid walking alone, not to go out at night, to be careful about what they wear, to share their location, or even to stay indoors. But why should women have to give up their freedom because someone else might choose to harm them? The responsibility should not be placed on women to prevent violence committed against them. The responsibility belongs to the perpetrators, and there must be serious consequences for those who commit GBV, DV and femicide. Women should be able to live their lives, go to work, go out with friends and travel without constantly having to think about whether they will become the next victim. These women are not statistics — they are daughters, sisters, mothers, friends and members of our communities. We cannot continue treating violence against women as something they simply have to learn to avoid. We need stronger action, greater protection for victims and survivors, and real accountability for perpetrators. Women deserve the freedom to live without fear, and it is time for the focus to shift from restricting women to stopping the people who harm them.