A Systematic Scoping Review of Female Teachers Working in Risky Areas in South Africa

South Africa is a highly ranked country with regard to violence against women. Similar to their male counterparts, female teachers in South Africa must navigate the complexities of teaching in environments characterised by social unrest, crime, and instability. This systematic review was conducted to determine how safe female teachers are in their workplaces, specifically by analysing the challenges experienced by female teachers in these volatile areas and their impacts on well-being and productivity. The systematic literature review method was adopted, and the PRISMA flow chart was used to conduct an extensive search on four databases, namely Google Scholar (n = 52), Scopus (n = 11), Teacher Reference Center (n = 55), and Taylor and Francis (n = 123), for data generation and analysis. A total of 241 articles were identified before applying exclusion and inclusion criteria. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) version 18 was used for quality assessments. Subsequently, 17 studies were included, and the findings showed that female teachers working in risky areas in the South Africa face substantial challenges, including limited resources and constant exposure to violence, which impact their professional growth and job satisfaction. Despite this, teachers still show unwavering commitment to their students and profession. These findings highlight the need for government support and interventions that can ensure the safety of not only female teachers but also students and other members of the school community.