This advocacy brief addresses South Africa's urgent Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) crisis, where it is estimated that a woman is killed every 2 to 3 hours. Despite staggering statistics — including 7.3 million women experiencing physical violence in their lifetime — the national response is often hindered by fragmented information and limited trend data. In response, the GBVF Response Fund 1, in partnership with UNFPA, has launched a strategic initiative to move from reactive interventions toward evidence-led action by putting data at the center of the response. The brief details how over 100 community-based organizations (CBOs) were trained in MERLA (Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning, and Accountability) to ensure frontline services are measurable, effective, and survivor-centered. Central to this vision is the establishment of a GBVF Situation Room, a national data hub designed to aggregate real-time intelligence from police reports and community programs to identify hotspots and guide rapid, evidence-based decision-making. Ultimately, this initiative aligns with the pillars of South Africa’s National Strategic Plan to transform national heartbreak into measurable impact and safer communities.