DATE: 07-08 DECEMBER 2017

VENUE: ESIBAYENI LODGE

Table of Contents                                                                

Executive Summary

Overview

Review of the COE process

Working in the new Thematic Areas

Gender Responsive Budgeting

Creating a Community of Practise

Launch of Empower Women, End Violence Study

Outputs

Outcomes

Lessons Learned

Next Steps

  1. Annexes
  • Annex A Programme (COE)
  • Annex B Programme (Entrepreneurship)
  • Annex C Participant List

Attachments:

  • Consolidated COE Framework

Executive summary

QUICK FACTS:

·         The meeting attracted twenty seven (27) participants (13 women and 14 men), from across four regions in the Kingdom.

 

·         High profile participants included: N/A

 

·         FBOs participants represented the all 4 Faith Based Organisations and churches under the Coordinating Assembly of NGOs (CANGO).

 

 This report outlines the outcomes of the Faith Based Organisation workshop on providing a national context on Gender Based Violence in Swaziland.

The meeting was organised by the Gender Protocol Alliance network with support from Act Alliance. The workshop is being convened by Swaziland Gender Links, Gender Protocol Alliance in partnership with Act Alliance as part of a strategy to ensure a robust national gender campaign on stretching 16 Days of no violence and development of 365 Days Action Plan. The workshop aimed at developing an FBO communication strategy for gender based violence for Swaziland.

Objectives

The workshop aimed to:

  • To provide the national context of FBO and GBV through in Swaziland
  • To ensure the involvement of Swaziland faith based organisations in a robust national gender campaign on stretching 16 Days to 365 Days of no Violence
  • To foster coalition building strategies of FBS through stakeholder mapping
  • To develop an FBO communications strategy for gender based violence for Swaziland.

Key messages:

Swaziland Conference of Churches Pastor Nkabinde Shabalala gave a message on the launch of their campaign on Thursday the 14th December 2017 at the George Hotel.  The campaign would be launched at a breakfast meeting under the theme “Real Men Campaign”.   The mandate of this campaign is to look for partners and fight against GBV in Swaziland.

Background

The Southern African Gender Protocol Alliance is a “network of networks” that campaigned for the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development (the Protocol), its ratification and now its implementation. The Alliance is represented in Swaziland by the Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organizations (CANGO).

The Act Alliance is a coalition of 146 churches and faith based organisation working together in over 100 countries. Under the banner of the ACT Alliance South and Southern Africa Bread for the World, Christian Aid, Church of Sweden and Norwegian Church Aid(E4) joined forces in collaborative action around SRHR and Gender, Environmental and Economic Justice. The 16 Days of Activism to No Violence against Women and Children is one of the main intervention strategies towards creating awareness on the negative impact of violence against women and children (VAW&C). As such Act Alliance supports initiatives that aim at curbing all forms of gender violence through the support for the support of conducting a workshop with FBOs on best practices and strategic communication on FBOs role on GBV in a Faith in non-violent world message. The overall goal of the activity is to advocate against GBV.

The outcome of this workshop was to work with FBOs and other religious groups on how to look on issues of social justice, organisations congregations and girl’s movements. Challenge is to find out if leaders are gate keepers of social justice and who are the religious leaders. This was redefined by designing church structures as follows:

Strengthening existing structures
Bishops, Priests and Pastors Parish Councils
Youth structures CHURCH STRUCTURES Men’s Unions
Women’s Fellowship (lumanyano)

In the church structures there are Pastors Youth structures, Parish councils, men’s unions and women’s fellowship (lumanyano). It was discovered that there would be no social justice without gender justice. In order to start moving forward the above groups need to come out with one innovation.

FBOs and GBV

There are many challenges in churches e.g Homosexuality

Participants were then grouped in two groups whereby they were expected to work on challenges faced in churches when it comes to GBV. Both groups came out with almost the same challenges:

Challenges

  • People do not come forward to talk about their problems and only talk when things get worse. They keep it a secret.
  • Fear to talk about it because they feel it is a disgrace
  • Resources – financial issues are a problem especially when the woman earns more than the husband
  • Culture and upbringing of a person also contributes to people not reporting or coming forward
  • Most men do not attend church, only their wives attend of which it becomes difficult to engage them when it comes to issues of GBV.

Mitigation

  • Training of councillors where people can go and have a discussion on whatever issues they are facing
  • Report criminal cases
  • GBV should be a continuously talked about in church, the church should wait for a problem to arise but at the same time should address them beforehand.
  • Address issues of stigma
  • Conduct dialogues and discussions
  • Build halfway houses for the survivors of GBV
  • Education and empowerment is key

Support structures.

  • Church structures – Parish council. It is a responsibility in every leadership structure of social development to deal with cases of GBV.
  • There is a need of strengthening of loose ends in the church structures.
  • Sunday school teachers needs to be more skilled spiritually
  • As the rate of HIV is high at 14 years of age it is the churches responsibility to start capacity building on such issues below the age 0f 14 e.g 10yrs.

Key Gender Concepts

In order for participants to understand the difference between sex and gender they were taken through the definition and the difference between genders and sex. They also did an exercise whereby each participant was given cards with different role and activities and occupations whereby they had to place these cards on either the two of the way – boy/men or girl/woman as they thought appropriate.

Sex- describes the biological difference between men and women. Men produce sperm; women become pregnant, bear and breastfeed children.

Gender– describes the socially constructed differences between men and women, which can change over time and which vary within a given society from one society to the next. Our gender identity determines how we are perceived and how we are expected to behave as men and women.

SEX AND GENDER ROLES

Reproductive work comprises the child bearing/rearing responsibilities and domestic tasks undertaken by women, required to guarantee the maintenance and reproduction of the labour force. It includes not only biological reproduction but also the maintenance of the work force (husband and working children) and the future workforce (infants and school going children)

Productive work comprises work done by both women and men for payment in cash or kind. It includes both market place production with an exchange value, and subsistence/home production with an actual use value, but also a potential exchange value. For women in agricultural production this includes work as independent farmers, peasant’s wives and wageworkers

Welcome Remarks:

Swaziland Gender Links Country Facilitator Ms Ncane Maziya acknowledged participants for their positive response and commitment towards realising the importance of fight against GBV in Swaziland. Highlighted the quick response to the invitation to the workshop. She then invited one participant to open the workshop with a word of prayer.

Before proceeding with day’s agenda: Participants were taken through the overview of the of the programme by Gender Links Media Coordinator Ms Tarisai Nyamweda.

The facilitator further challenged audience on what they would personally do towards the contribution of the fight against GBV and challenges faced by churches.

 Key activities

  • Conduct capacity building at youth level
  • Train Sunday school teachers
  • Revise the once a year conference to run throughout the year
  • Come out with a vigorous interaction and speak out about issues of GBV in churches
  • Use the Voice of the Church to speak out on such issues
  • Develop a statement that will change the situation and stand on Gods principles
  • Work on finding a common goal as a church to avoid serving different sectors

Outputs

  • 365 Days calendar and GBV action plan was developed
  • Success of the launch of the GL Community of Practice

 Next steps

  • Revise and strengthen church structures
  • Work on the strategies of the departments such as the GBV, Youth and HIV/AIDS.
  • To look at how FBOs can change the issue of having one conference a year as it is imperative to get the information throughout the year.
  • Address challenges of GBV especially when cases involving family members are not disclosed because of the fear of causing disunity at the church and family levels.
  • Work close with police on such issues
  • Addressing GBV and HIV stigmatisation
  • Conducting dialogues
  • Work on the issues of building structures to support and protect GBV survivors.
  • Implementation the activities from the developed 365 Days action plan

ANNEX A: PROGRAMME

 Objectives

  • To provide the national context of FBO and GBV through in Swaziland
  • To ensure the involvement of Swaziland faith based organisations in a robust national gender campaign on stretching 16 Days to 365 Days of No Violence.
  • To foster coalition building strategies of FBOs through stakeholder mapping.
  • To develop a FBO communications strategy for gender based violence for Swaziland
TIME       ACTIVITY WHO Document
DAY ONE: 7 December 2017  
Key messages, Gender concepts, testimonials  
08.30 – 09.00 Introductions and welcome, Prayer NM
09.00 – 09.30 Overview of programme TN
09.30 – 09.45 Key messages from partners NM
09.45 – 10.00 Key messages from government NM
10.00 – 10.15 Key message from FBO umbrella bodies NM
10.15 – 10.30 Background on mobilising FBOs for gender equality ZM
10.30 – 11.00 GROUP PHOTO AND TEA
11.00 – 12.00 Key Gender Concepts NM/TN Key gender concepts on workshop pack
12.00 – 12.30 FBOs and gender ZM
12.30 – 13.00 Introduction to the SADC Gender Protocol and the GBV provisions NM Protocol document
13.00 – 14.00 Lunch
14.00 – 15.30 FBO best practices on GBV prevention and response All
15.30 – 15.45 Tea
15.45 – 16.00 Testimonials from survivors of GBV Survivor
16.00 – 17.00 Introduction to strategic communication for GBV TN/NM Strategic communications document on workshop pack
17.00 Discussions and wrap up for the day NM
DAY TWO: 8 December  
Strategic communications, Community of practice launch, Action planning, key messages on GBV
08.30 – 09.30 Sharing successful campaigns – key elements of campaigns TN
09.30-10.30 Group work: Messaging exercise on GBV issues All Formulating key messages document on workshop pack
10.30 – 11.00 TEA
11.00 – 13.00 Launch of GL Community of Practice NM/TN Community of practice instructions on workshop pack
13.00 – 14.00 Lunch
13.00 – 15.30 Group work

Developing a & 365days calendar and GBV action plan, key messages

Groups led by ZM, TN, NM Action plan template in pack
15.30 – 16.00 Report back, consolidation of 365days calendar from groups; Next steps Groups led by TN

ANNEX B: LIST OF PARTICIPANTS                                                                                                                                            

Name and Surname Sex Organisation Position Cell Phone / Land Line Email
Zanele Dlamini F SCCL Treasurer 7608102 ditanele@yahoo.com
Zachariah Ncongwane M ELCSA Gender Coordinator 7613412
Father Wandile Dlamini M Anglican Church Priest 76227470/79227470 Wandiledlamini308@gmail.com
Thandi A Zulu F Anglican Church Social Dev. Coordinator 76358266 socialdeve@swazilanddiocese.org.sz
Khombisile Dlamini F Council of Swaziland Churches Programme Coordinator 766448098 khombied@gmail.com
Mduduzi Kunene M Cornerstone Apostolic Church in Zion Bishop 76428428 revmduduzikunene@gmail.com
Vusi Magagula M Swaziland Conference of Churches of the Seventh Day Adventist Student pastor 78633814 magagulavusi99@gmail.com
Ntombifuthi Shabangu F Green Living Movement Director 76176557 Ntombifuthishabangu199@gmail.com
Nelsiwe Mahlalela F SCCL Gender Coordinator 76323643
Jabu Mnisi F Anglican Parish nurse 76285331
Tarisai Nyamweda F GL Media Coordinator +2711622287 media@genderlinks.org.za
Thandokuhle Dlamini M GL Resource Officer +2711622287 commsofficer@genderlinks.org.za
Zanele Makombe F Act Alliance Gender and SRHR +27115759336 zanelemakombe@gmail.com
Fezekile Msimang M Act Alliance Photo Journalist +27115759336
Rev Mpendulo Mdziniso M Lutheran Church Dean 76773588 mdzinisomb@gmail.com
Comfort Mabuza M HURISWA Director 76051142 mcmabuza@webmail.com
Nkabinde Shabalala M Swaziland Conference of Churches Operations Manager 78060099 nkabinde@yahoo.com
Canaan E. Mathabela M SCCL Chairperson 76114323
Sydney Nyembe M SCCL Secretary 76059927 sydneydumizo@gmail.com
Ncane Maziya F GL CF 76240486 swdlocalgvt@genderlinks.org.za
Bonginkhosi Mhlabane M Sprit and Truth Bible Church Youth Mentor 78533372
Rev. T.H Mahlalela M SCCL Ass. Secretary 76424597 revthembahla@gmail.com
Sgcibelo Magagula M Matsapha Town Council MAPM 76130557 sgcibelom@matsapha.sz
Tibuyile Dlamini F Ezulwini Town Council MAPM buyikhanyi@yahoo.com
Welile Hlatshwayo F Ezulwini Town Council Youth Mentor 76232756

 Annex C:

SWAZILAND FAITH BASED ORGANISATIONS ACTION PLAN

OBJECTIVE ACTIVITIES KEY MESSAGES TARGET GROUPS TIMEFRAME WHO RESPONSIBLE

OUTPUTS

BUDGET

GENERAL
To raise awareness and enhance understanding of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in communities and place a greater focus on prevention Teaching the WORD of God and crusades All age groups Churches driven by women Change of behaviour, decrease in GBV reports,
THE INDIVIDUAL/HOUSEHOLD  
Create a critical mass of men and boys involved in ending gender based violence

 

Engage men and boys on issues of GBV in communities through hosting regional men’s dialogues facilitated by men;

Establish an independent network of men starting with NAP workshop

Men and boys Ministry of education, church leaders, NGOs, men’s groups Disciplined boys and men  
To involve survivors of violence in GBV campaigns Document first-hand accounts from survivors All age groups Aligning ministries, NGOs, police under the Domestic Violence Department, and religion Reduced cases of GBV  
Capacity building in public speaking, lobbying and advocacy through integration of survivors in public awareness campaigns All age groups All citizens Decrease in GBV prevalence  
COMMUNITIES  
Educate school going boys and girls on GBV Design new and consolidate existing education materials on GBV appropriate for different age groups. Boys and girls from grade 0 to Form 6, special classes for babies Parents, school heads, guardians Reduced GBV, informed boys and girls  
Integration of education materials into school curriculum appropriate for different levels.  
Create awareness on the link between GBV and HIV and AIDS

 

Campaigns on the link between GBV and HIV and AIDS. All community members Government, NGO, schools communities, One high profile campaign held each year. Reduction of GBV, HIV and AIDS, better marriages (partners respect each other)  
AWARENESS  
To stretch the 16 days campaign to 365 through using this high profile campaign to heighten awareness of GBV Hold 16 days of Activism campaign events annually attended by high profile people carrying key messages, eg Take Back the Night campaign; The Real Men campaign All community members Government line ministries, led by Ministry of Gender, churches, schools community GBV reduction  
Use special dates in the calendar to develop yearlong campaign

 

To incorporate GBV activism into existing campaigns that stretch across the year as highlighted below

 

All community members All line ministries in government GBV reduction  
Special calendar dates 1 January – New Year’s Day All community members Churches, families Progressive resolution from stakeholders on the new year  
14 February – Valentine’s Day Lovers and couples Ministry of Health, marriage counsellors, parents and guardians Responsible relationships
13 February – World radio day All radio listeners; SBIS and the Voice of the Church radio stations Ministry communication, journalists, musicians, celebrities Messages for social and behavioural
5 March – Ash Wednesday All Christians FBOs Responsible living  
7 March – World of prayer All Christians FBOs United country with the rest of the world  
8 March – International Women’s Day Men and women NGOs, DPMs office Gender and Family Affairs Department, police and the Surveillance team Increased recognition of women  
7 April – World Health Day All citizens Ministry of health, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Local government, community leaders, churches A clean and safe environment, health citizens  
13 April – Palm Sunday All Christians FBOs Celebration of spiritual freedom emphasized.  
18 – 21 April; Easter All Christians FBOs Forgiveness of sins – repentant nation and tolerance, unity for the community and families  
1 May – Workers day Every worker Ministry of Labour Motivation of citizens to work and for employers to recognise hard work , transparency in remuneration  
25 May – Africa Day All Africans Government and NGOs Spirit of unity in Africa  
8 June – Pentecost Sunday All Christians FBOs Building confidence amongst Christians  
16 October – World Food Day All citizens Ministry of Health, FBOs, Promotes spirit of sharing and innovation on climate change  
1 November –All Saints Day All Christians FBOs Promotion of the spirit of goodness and working for God  
2 November – All Souls Day All Christians FBOs Remembrance of the dead  
25 November – International Day Against Violence on Women All women and men and the youth DPMs office Gender and Family Issues Department, NGOs, Mothers Union, Youth clubs and men’s groups Raise awareness about levels of violence and prevention measures  
25 November – 10 December; 16Days of Activism All women and men and the youth DPMs office Gender and Family Issues Department, NGOs, Mothers Union, Youth clubs and men’s groups Raise awareness about levels of violence and prevention measures  
1 December – World Aids Day PLWHA, care givers, all community members Ministry of Health, NGOs, Churches Disseminate information, medication and caring for PLWHA, Reduction of HIV infection  
10 December – Human Rights Day All citizens Ministry of Justice, Police, NGOs, FBOs, Community members Access to justice increased, information readily available  
25 December – Christmas Day Some Christians Churches, family Promotion of peace and family spirit at home and in the community  
26 December – Boxing Day Some Christians Churches, families, friends Promoting the spirit of giving  
SOCIETY        
Media        
Effective use of multi-media products to end gender violence

 

Develop and air radio programme with a focus on GBV (Voice of the Church) radio station        
Social media – Facebook, twitter and Instagram        
Finalise and roll out of a women’s programme which has a focus on GBV        
Develop a TV soap programme focusing on GBV        
Host TV talk shows on GBV      
 

 

 

 

Design messages on GBV for advertising in print media, billboards, public spaces, packaging        
To promote balance, fairness, sensitivity and compliance with ethical standards in media coverage. Media monitoring,

Engaging with media houses

Quarterly meetings with the media to review progress.

 

       
Development of Gender and HIV and AIDS newsroom policies        
To build capacity of reporters to report on GBV in a balanced and sensitive way. Training workshops on covering GBV

Rotating of journalists on the GBV beat

       
Creating media literate consumers who can challenge the media Conduct media literacy training especially among women (consumer activism)        
Assess media performance on reporting GBV.

 

 

Conduct regular media monitoring & comparative analysis        
POLITICAL        
To involve public officials and royal family to be bearers of messages of condemning GBV in the media and public spaces throughout the year Sensitisation of politicians/ portfolio committees to gender, and gender violence. Take advantage of elections.        
  Civic education to ensure that gender violence is put on the agenda especially during the election year.        
  Profile champions of gender violence through public nominations.        
To encourage local communities to develop models and good practice in ending gender violence Gender sensitization for Councillors soon after elections, zone leaders, central committees        
Documenting and sharing good practices of fighting gender violence at local level.        
Ensuring that all stakeholders are involved eg medical doctors, Police Domestic Violence and Protection Unit        
Programme as opposed to event based approaches        
COORDINATION
Promote regular information flows amongst sectors working on gender violence in Zimbabwe        
MONITORING AND EVALUATION        
To measure whether attitudes are changing so as to target campaigns more effectively Establish targets and indicators; conduct regular surveys        

WORKSHOP EVALUATION FORM

Event:    Faith Based Networks strategic communications to end GBV

Date: 7 -8 December 2017

  1. Which session did you find most useful? Why?
  • Gender roles it is our daily work
  • Programme design because it gives me a vision andit also motivates me
  • Developing a 365 Days calender and GBV action plan, key messages to address the high escalating GBV instances in the country
  • Gender Concepts (card swapping exercise)
  • GBV as a social issue affecting communities
  • Session on Faith Based Organisations and gender was the most useful because I am now able to distinguish between gender and sex
  • Religion and Gender the stereotypes in our churches and community levels
  1. Which session did you find least useful? Why?
  • Religion and stereotypes in gender
  • The video session network was unstable hence message could hardly be heard
  • Interaction with other countries
  1. How will you apply what you have gained from this engagement?
  • By sharing with my Pastor and ask a space in church or community
  • Influence the church leaders – I will work with the community at large but starting with the community leaders – MPs and Indvuna Yenkhundla and Bandlancane
  • To have dialogues with congregants and also use the church services in every sermon to sensitise the church about GBV and its impact
  • Network with other NGOs doing the same programme will assist me to put to practice what I have gained.
  • Raise awareness in our church and get people to discuss such issues and find viable solutions
  • Go back to the community and talk about Gender Based Violence issues. I will also mobilise churches to discuss issues around this topic (GBV).
  • My organisation will collaborate with Gender Link for awareness raising
  • Will align with church practices
  • Educate mostly those who couldn’t get the opportunity to learn as I did
  1. Any other comment
  • I wish the workshop could come back and take more that the one and half days so as to form their originality and take precautions. As add in the manual the Religious/Christianity perspective
  • Such workshops are needed
  • Lines of communication for church leaders was a problem and the invitation came late
  • Funding issues
  • Time keeping and sending invitations should be done on time so to send people who are not committed in other activities
  • The testimonial from GBV survivor was a true eye-opener for me personally
  • Programme too packed and yet time was too short
  • Need to have enough time to address this issue as church leaders and have speakers or victims to address us on the impact of GBV and how to outcome the trauma if it is possible
  • Eyes opened and realised things which have negative effect in my church.
ANNEX 2