Why an economic lens changes the GBV conversation

A 2021 IMF working paper cites an estimated annual global cost of violence against women of about US$1.5 trillion. A World Bank analysis estimates that lost productivity from intimate partner violence costs 1.2%–3.7% of GDP in some countries; this is not an Africa-wide estimate.

A 2014 KPMG report estimated a South African annual cost range of R28.4 billion to R42.4 billion for 2012/13, while noting substantial data gaps and the need for further research. The Imbizo treats these historic figures as a starting point, not a settled conclusion.

An economic lens does something awareness campaigns cannot: it creates a number that can be tracked, compared between sectors and reported on annually. That is the purpose of the proposed GBV Socio-Economic Impact Index.