Navigating gendered realities

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health and human rights concern in South Africa, with national data indicating some of the highest prevalence rates worldwide. While existing literature has significantly contributed to understanding the causes and consequences of IPV, much of it remains centred on individual-level risk factors, often neglecting broader systemic and cultural dimensions. This study undertakes a systematic review of South African scholarly work on IPV to interrogate how the phenomenon is constructed within academic discourse. Guided by social constructionist, feminist, and hegemonic masculinity theories, the analysis synthesises findings from 30 peer-reviewed studies. Following the thematic analysis, four major thematic domains emerged: the structural and social underpinnings of IPV, individual and interpersonal triggers of IPV, survivor narratives related to coping and meaning-making, as well as rationalisations and justifications by perpetrators. A recurring pattern within the literature associates IPV predominantly with poverty, Black African masculinities, and traditional cultural norms, frequently omitting middle-class and White South African experiences. Such framing risks perpetuating racialised and class-based stereotypes, while simultaneously obscuring the systemic roles of patriarchy, institutional failure, and socioeconomic inequality. This review underscores the urgency of adopting a more inclusive, intersectional lens in both research and intervention, one that challenges reductive narratives and more accurately reflects the diverse realities of IPV in the South African context.