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Episode details

World Service,25 Sep 2026,23 mins

Women in South Africa: 'We just want to be safe'

BBC Conversations

Available for over a year

Warning: contains description of domestic violence In the last few months, nine women – including a young mother out jogging – have been murdered near Johannesburg. South Africa has one of the highest levels of violent crime against women in the world and the deaths have sparked an outcry across the country that more needs to be done. In our conversations we bring together survivors of domestic abuse and female runners. “You should be able to come home, you should be able to go to the grocery store, you should be able to go about your day without thinking twice, without looking over your shoulder,” Elizabeth tells us. “It’s exhausting.” We also bring together founders of organisations helping to protect women and change attitudes. Presenters: Rob Young and James Reynolds BBC producers: Ben Davis, Isabella Bull and Megan Lawton Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham Editors: Arja Haikonen and Harriet Oliver A Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC World Service Outside Source team. (Photo: Demonstrators in Cape Town greet each other ahead of an awareness walk for victims of gender-based violence in South Africa. Credit: Reuters/Esa Alexander)

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