Gender Justice Barometer Issue 20

About eight Southern African countries have developed 365 Day multi-sector action plans to end gender violence as a way of sustaining the momentum. Governments, civil society organisations, private sector, UN agencies need to invest money into making sure the action plans are implemented and have a lasting impact in reducing levels of gender violence.

As gender activists we need to ponder on what Sixteen Days has achieved and where the gaps are. A critical question is what are the next steps? Is the next 349 Days going to be business as usual and will the 2008 Sixteen Days be the same. Or maybe there needs to be some shift in approach in order to consolidate the gains in dealing with gender violence made thus far.

A great deal of work goes into ensuring that the campaign is a success but monitoring and evaluation of overall impact of the campaign is still scanty.

The Sixteen Days campaign has raised public awareness on gender violence and its ramifications. Media has continued to support the campaign as by covering events and publishing articles on gender violence during the campaign. But do we know whether this has resulted in actual behavioural change or not?

There is very little information available on how the campaign has impacted on preventing or responding to gender violence. Many advocates argue that we need to now move beyond campaign mode to a programmatic approach in which the Sixteen Days is used to highten awareness. 

Violence against women and children continues to escalate despite efforts being made by government and civil society organisations.  The role of gender violence in fuelling HIV can not be denied either. However most of the energies seem to be geared to response and support mechanisms (crisis services)  after the abuse has already occured. Yet a more long term solution to end this scourge is to invest more resources into prevention efforts.

Prevention strategies as a way of responding to gender based violence imply taking a proactive stance to stop violence rather than a reactive approach of focussing on victims or survivors who have already suffered abused.

The research on violence prevention models will focus look at the interrelationships between human beings and their environments beginning with the
> Individual
> Relationship with peers, intimate partners and family members
> Community which focuses on the settings such as schools, workplaces, neighbourhoods,
> Societal which looks at the broad societal factors which include social and cultural norms.

Gender violence and consequently HIV and AIDS can not be stopped without fundamental transformation of mindsets of men to a large extent but also women who society have shaped to believe that "it is okay to be abused". The task of changing behaviour and those cultural norms that fuel violence may seem insurmountable but there are promising models that are in place, if scaled up in each country, will go a long way in addressing these challenges.

An expert group meeting organised in Norway in 2007 to prepare for the CSW 52nd session pointed out that the gap between policy commitments at international and national level and action on the ground is now well recognised, tehre has been limted assessment of the extent to which gaps in resource allocatioons in support of these commitments have contributed to the implementation gap.

The meeting also pointed to the much recognised reality that promotion of gender equality is "smart economics" despite the fact that public sector expenditures have not systematically addressed gender equality concerns.

Objectives of the meeting include:
> Share feedback from each country on national developments regarding the Protocol.
> Share feedback on regional developments regarding the Protocol.
> Analyse the new draft Protocol adn agree on a position and way forward.
> Write opinions and commentaries on the Protocol for use in various media and in a supplement at the Heads of State summit on poverty in Mauritius in April 2008

Among the key contentious issues to be explored are:
> The contradiction between customary law and statutory law.
> The need to have explicit reference to marital rape.
> Use of non obligatory language from ensure to endevour in member states’ commitment to achieving the 50% target in decision making bodies.
> There is lack of comprehensive monitoring and evaluation mechanism framework which will make it difficult to track progress.
> Rights of socially excluded and vulnerable groups not addressed.

There are administrative issues that need to be dealt with to ensure effective and efficient application of the piece of legislation. For example, police will need to be trained around provisions especially in taking statements. Equally all those serving in the justice system need to be able to interpret it. More importantly the citizens need to be aware Act exists and that it is there to protect them.

The new Act also recognises a new range of crimes especially relating to children and people with mental disability. Some of the provisions remain controversial.

One of the most contentious issues is that the Act makes it illegal for teenagers to kiss, touch or rub up against each other in public. Teenagers could be criminally charged if found guilty of infringing the law. Also illegal under the new act is any sexual activity, including oral sex, between consenting teens aged 15 and younger.

This has sparked an uproar from teenagers and advocacy groups. For example Samantha Waterhouse from RAPCAN is quoted in Cape Argus newspaper saying
""I can understand where the government is coming from in terms of morality, but criminalising kissing, and even touching, is illogical. What we should have are programmes aimed at sexual education, like what is and what is not appropriate,"

Further, according to a report in L’Express (15/01/2008), the Prime Minister’s office has launched a ‘Women And Children’s Solidarity Programme’ to support NGOs in their fight against abuse and violence against women and children. With the various partnerships between the government, the private sector and NGOs, the government has called upon some NGOs to extend their reach out to more vulnerable and needy people.

The report also states that in the Budget 2007/2008 speech, the government has made provision for Rs 25 million to help victims of abuse and violence. This programme is project-based and will involve at least two or three social partners registered with the Registrar of Associations. The NGOs are called to work primarily upon areas such as diminishing abuse and violence against women and children, provide support to such victims and to neglected children, educate and provide assistance to children with disabilities and serious illness. The programme will mainly benefit the victims and survivors but there are possibilities for training to empower volunteer field workers who will be entreated to work upon the grassroots social problems.

Loga Virahsawmy applauded government’s programme to remove children living on the street and finding ways of helping these.  She however laments the escalating levels of violence especially prevalent amongst drug addicts.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), reports sexual violence against women and children in Kenya is increasing.  UNICEF is urgently appealing for $3 million to provide emergency protection for children and women who have been displaced by post-election violence in the country and for those who remain in their home communities, but are at risk of violence and exploitation. 

The UNICEF says there is less ethnic violence now than during the post-election rioting last month.  But, Kenya remains dangerous and children and women are at particular risk for violence and abuse.

The term "polygamy" refers to the practice of one man having more than one wife at the same time.  This is how the term is used by several writers. Tehre are other definitions of polygamy which are more elaborated and complex.

Polygamy is not admitted by Christianity but it is authorised by Islam. However the Holy Koran, sacred book of the Islamic religion, limits the nubmer of wives to four. the Koran also stipulates that the husband must treat his wives fairly.

At no other level are the stark realities of violence against women and children more evident than at local government. At a recent workshop organised by the Gender Advocacy Programme (GAP), a group of participants from rural communities, local councils and community media discussed a range of issues including women in the media, local government and citizen participation.