Voices of women teachers about gender inequalities and gender-based violence in rural South Africa

Gender-based violence is a reality in many societies and is linked to the spread of HIV and AIDS. There have been numerous studies that have attempted to acquire an understanding of the breadth and depth of the issues around gender-based violence. However, one area that has received scant attention is the voices of women teachers. Thus, in this article, drawing on qualitative research and focus group interviews, we explore the voices of women teachers who teach in a rural school in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, around their views of gender-based violence. We conclude that their voices, both in relation to broader societal issues as well as in the school context, speak about a strong awareness of what is generally regarded as the 'foundation' of gender-based violence, i.e. gender inequality.