New Femicide Risk assessment and Safety Planning Tools Support South African Women at Risk

Pretoria, South Africa | 30 September 2026

The  South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) has called for the urgent adoption and implementation of an evidence-based femicide risk assessment and safety planning tools to assist women experiencing severe intimate partner violence to remain safe. This is particularly important following the recent spate of killings of women across the country. Femicide remains one of South Africa's most pressing public health and human rights crises. The national femicide studies in South Africa show that femicide is preventable, yet the most recent study shows an increase in the rate of intimate partner femicide.

“Many women who are ultimately killed by intimate partners experience escalating patterns of violence, threats, coercive control, and abuse prior to their deaths”, says Chief Specialist Scientist, Professor Naeemah Abrhams.

Yet early identification of risk, combined with appropriate safety planning and support, can create critical opportunities for intervention. Many women at risk do not access protection orders or other available safety mechanisms, while measures such as safety monitoring and weapons confiscation remain underutilised, despite their potential to improve women's safety.

 “This needs to urgently change to ensure that women have ready access to prevention and response options”, says SAMRC’s Gender and Health Research Unit Director, Associate Professor Nwabisa  Shai .

To strengthen prevention efforts, researchers from the Gender and Health Research Unit worked with women survivors, service providers, and experts to produce a femicide risk assessment tool and a Safety Plan which includes both an emergency safety plan and a long-term safety plan. The easy to use one- page risk assessment tool is designed to help women identify if they are at heightened risk of severe violence or femicide.

The safety planning tool, which entails a safety plan for an emergency (women who need to leave in a hurry), and a long-term safety plan for women to get ready to leave violent relationships after considering implication for themselves and their children. All tools were developed specifically for women experiencing intimate partner violence and their adaptation ensured that these are relevant to local realities and practical for use across national diverse settings.

While the tools can be used by women themselves, it is highly recommended that they be administered by frontline service providers including police officials, social workers, health professionals, victim support services, and community-based organisations.

"Femicide is often preceded by warning signs and missed opportunities for intervention. Risk assessment and safety planning tools can help women, families, communities, and service providers recognise danger early and take action before violence escalates to a femicide”, says Senior Specialist Scientist ,Dr Leane Ramsoomar

The tools form part of South Africa's National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide and a stand-alone draft National Integrated Strategy on the Prevention of Femicide, both of which emphasise prevention, early intervention, and coordinated responses across sectors.

The SAMRC is currently engaging with government departments and stakeholders to support the adoption and implementation of the risk assessment and safety planning tools within existing services. Successful implementation will require training, awareness raising, monitoring, and collaboration across the justice, health, social development, and community sectors.

As South Africa grapples with the continued loss of women's lives, the message remains clear: femicide is preventable. Identifying risk early, listening to women's experiences, and ensuring access to practical safety interventions can help save lives.

The tools can be accessed here: https://www.samrc.ac.za/article-other/femicide-prevention-tools?type=articles-other&menu=intramural-research-units&menu-item=gender_and_health  

Media Contact:
Yolanda Phakela
South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)