The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities has introduced a compulsory Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) training course for public servants, in a bid to strengthen gender mainstreaming and drive more inclusive government policies.
The move comes as South Africa continues to grapple with alarming levels of gender-based violence (GBV), which government has repeatedly described as a national crisis.
In a statement, the department said the online GBA+ course will equip officials with practical tools to design policies and programmes that are gender-responsive, youth-focused and inclusive of persons with disabilities.
“The training will support the development of responsive and inclusive initiatives across government, including policies, programmes and service delivery,” the department said.
Public servants have been urged to enrol through the department’s online learning platform, as part of efforts to institutionalise gender mainstreaming across all spheres of government.
The course introduces an intersectional approach to governance, requiring officials to consider how factors such as gender, age, disability, race, class and geography affect access to opportunities and resources.
Officials will also be trained to ensure that government interventions actively reduce inequality rather than reinforce it.
The rollout comes against a grim national backdrop.
According to the latest crime statistics released by the South African Police Service, thousands of women continue to be victims of violence each year. In the most recent reporting period, more than 1,000 women were murdered, while tens of thousands of assault and rape cases were recorded nationwide.
These figures have reinforced concerns that, despite years of policy commitments, implementation gaps remain across government departments.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously acknowledged the severity of the crisis. Speaking during the G20 Summit Johannesburg 2025 in December, Ramaphosa described GBV as a “second pandemic” and a national crisis requiring urgent, coordinated action.
He said government must move beyond rhetoric and ensure that all departments integrate gender considerations into planning, budgeting and service delivery.
The DWYPD said the new compulsory training is aimed at doing exactly that — closing the gap between policy and implementation.
“Gender mainstreaming is essential for achieving equality and addressing gaps in awareness and execution across departments,” the department said.
The initiative is also expected to strengthen monitoring and evaluation systems, ensuring that government programmes are assessed not only on delivery, but on their impact in reducing inequality.
Experts have long argued that fragmented approaches to gender policy have weakened government’s ability to respond effectively to GBV and broader social inequalities.
By making GBA+ training compulsory, the department hopes to embed a consistent, government-wide approach that ensures all policies are assessed through a gender, youth and disability lens.
While the success of the programme will depend on enforcement and uptake, the move signals a shift towards more structured and accountable gender mainstreaming in the public sector.
As South Africa continues to battle high rates of violence against women and vulnerable groups, officials say building this capacity within the state is no longer optional — but necessary.
