Community Mobilization and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Among Women in Khayelitsha, South Africa

Background: Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) remains pervasive in South Africa, particularly in marginalized townships like Khayelitsha, where deep-rooted patriarchal norms, poverty, and apartheid legacies intersect to sustain high rates of violence against women. Despite national frameworks such as the Domestic Violence Act and the Sexual Offences Act, implementation barriers persist, including stigma, resource constraints, and cultural resistance. Community mobilization has emerged as a potential solution by promoting local engagement and collective action. However, its contextual relevance and effectiveness remain underexplored. This study investigates how women in Khayelitsha perceive and experience community mobilization as a strategy for addressing SGBV. Methods: Using a qualitative design guided by Social Representation Theory (SRT), the study explored how women’s shared beliefs and experiences shape representations of community mobilization. Forty-seven women aged 18 and above participated through 32 in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions. Data were collected between January and June 2023 and analyzed thematically using NVivo 12 software. Thematic analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s six-phase approach, guided by SRT to uncover how participants anchor and objectify mobilization within their cultural and socioeconomic realities. Results: Findings reveal four core themes: participation, collaboration, empowerment, and limitations. Participation was central to prevention, agency-building, and reporting, with women describing community gatherings as spaces for dialogue, healing, and solidarity. Collaboration with traditional and religious leaders enhanced local legitimacy, while empowerment through decision-making and economic skills reduced dependency and vulnerability. However, challenges such as resource scarcity, backlash from men, cultural resistance, and program discontinuity limited sustainability. The study underscores that community mobilization’s effectiveness depends on culturally grounded adaptation that aligns with local realities and values like ubuntu. Conclusion: Community mobilization holds transformative potential to reduce SGBV when rooted in local context and supported by sustained resources. Integrating participatory, culturally relevant, and economically empowering components enhances women’s agency and community ownership. Future interventions should prioritize long-term investment, intersectional inclusion, and structural change to ensure that mobilization becomes not just a response but a pathway toward gender justice and social transformation in South Africa.