A woman’s place is in her home. A woman’s place is in the workplace and in the community. On the streets and in public parks. In politics and leadership. In grocery stores, classrooms and on college campuses. A woman’s place is everywhere, and in every space, she has the right to feel safe and welcome.

Yet, gender-based violence and sexual violence, both in urban and rural settings, are an everyday occurrence for women and girls in every country around the world. The empowerment of women is about dealing with the legacy of apartheid and the transformation of society, particularly of power relations between women, men, institutions and laws...