Gender Justice Barometer Issue 25
Date: January 1, 1970
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SOUTHERN AFRICA
GENDER JUSTICE BAROMETER ISSUE 25:
JULY 2008 |
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| SADC GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT PROTOCOL:
*Regional: Justice ministers consider SADC Gender Protocol
*Regional: The Alliance at the SADC HOS Summit *Zambia: National consultative meeting to drum up support for the Gender Protocol
LEGISLATION SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, CULTURAL AND POLITICAL *Namibia: Local government workshop tackles women representation *Tanzania: Njombe women entrepreneurs get $13 million in loans *Africa: Cutting edge: Male circumcision and HIV *Africa: A tale of two countries SERVICES *DRC: Government unveils programme to fight against sexual violence
* DRC: "Green Line" for sexual violence survivors launched *South Africa: National Shelter Network to be launched Lesotho: Children dial 800 22 345 for help Zimbabwe: More women in Zimbabwe access Reproductive Health Care EDUCATION, TRAINING AND AWARENESS BUILDING *Seychelles: Online petition on campaign against gender violence
*Global: Join the online discussion on preparing for CSW in New York *Zambia: Media coverage of gender violence improves *Seychelles: Confronting violence INTEGRATED APPROACHES &BUDGETARY ALLOCATIONS *Seychelles: National Strategy on Domestic Violence to be popularised *Madagascar: Only a multisector approach will help eliminate violence *Mozambique: Ministry of Women reviews National Action Plan to End Gender Violence |
News Highlights
* Regional: Towards developing a standard set of indicators to measure GBV
*DRC National Policy of Gender, Family and Children validated *Ghana: Gender features strongly in the resolutions by the General Assembly of the 1st Ordinary Congress of the UCGLA *South Africa: Response to the xenophobia attacks not gender sensitive *Seychelles: Gender Seychelles website launched PREVENTION OF GBV: WHAT WORKS?
* South Africa: Stepping Stones: Working with men
UPCOMING EVENTS
*DPLG 16 Days Exit Report Dinner *Gender and Media Summit *Launch of a National Shelter Network *Seychelles: Online petition on campaign against gender violence
*Global: Join the online discussion on preparing for CSW in New York *Zambia: Media coverage of gender violence improves *Seychelles: Confronting violence |
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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Regional: Towards developing a standard set of indicators to measure GBV
A group of gender experts from government and civil society met in Johannesburg from 10 – 11 July to begin work towards developing a standard set of indicators to measure violence against women that could be applied to Southern Africa.
Many Southern African countries have shifted from campaign mode to a more integrated programmatic approach in dealing with gender based violence by developing National Action Plans. In the draft SADC Gender and Development Protocol there is a commitment that SADC Governments will reduce current levels of gender violence by 50% by 2015. How will governments know whether the national action plans are making a difference in reducing GBV? How will SADC be able to gauge whether the 50% target has been achieved?
Currently there is a piecemeal approach to measuring extent of violence against women based on administrative data and surveys. But there is no standard approach for the region that could make statistics comparable across countries.
The meeting came up with concrete suggestions on working towards achieving this goal. Representatives of civil society organisations and government departments that were present including; Gender Links, Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), Medical Research Council (MRC), South African Police Service (SAPS), Inter Departmental Management Team (IDMT), Government Communication and Information Systems (GCIS), Department of Health, NPA-SOCA Unit, Women in Law Southern Africa, Women in Law and Development (WiLDAF) among others committed to further canvass the idea with key role players to take the work forward. Gender Links with support from UNIFEM Trust Fund conducted desktop research on good practices, the outcomes which formed the basis of the draft indicators and the discussion at the meeting. SAPS and MRC presented on the forms of data collection done by their respective organisations, while CSVR presented on the Latin American experience of developing indicators to measure violence against women The first step in taking the work forward involves getting conceptual clarity on what it is that we want to measure. The July meeting concurred that measuring violence against women was a priority. Participants debated the extent of the problem (what uniform administrative and survey data can be obtained across all countries); response to the problem as measured by the multi stake holder National Action Plans to End Gender Violence that are in turn based on the 1998 SADC Addendum on the Prevention and Elimination of Violence against Women and Children and the draft Protocol on Gender and Development and prevention indicators, underscoring the importance of a paradigm shift towards prevention rather than simply response mechanisms. Apart from drafting a composite set of indicators measuring response, support and prevention of violence against women the meeting also came up with a strategy for a way forward. A reference group will be constituted to determine the modalities and assign roles for designing the study, designing of instruments; piloting the study at local level where City of Johannesburg was identified as a potential location for the pilot and then rolling out of the research.
Learning from the Latin American experience it was evident to workshop participants that it would take several years before the targets and indicators are finalised and adopted by Southern African countries. However this was seen as an important step towards have a standard composite index to measure gender violence which does not exist at the moment. *A report on the draft indicators proposed by the workshop will be featured in the next issue of the Barometer DRC: National Policy on Gender, Family and Children validated The National Policy of Gender, Family and Children has been validated and adopted following a workshop held between 2 -4 July 2008 convened by the Ministry of Gender, Family and Children in partnership with the UNDP. Provincial ministers, heads of provincial divisions of the Ministry of Gender, Family and Children and civil society organisations from the 11 provinces attended.
Minister of Gender, Family and Children, Philommene Omatuku described the event as "historical" as it ensures the integration of gender in all spheres of life. The policy is designed to improve the living conditions of women through strengthening economic empowerment initiatives, increasing women representation, and reducing vulnerability of women to sexual violence among other measures.
Ghana: Gender features strongly in the resolutions of the General Assembly of the 1st Ordinary Congress of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA) Resolutions made by the General Assembly of the 1st Ordinary Congress of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa placed gender high up on the agenda. On the 7th of July 2008, UCLGA officially launched its women’s commission. Attended by over 250 delegates representing 27 African countries (almost 40% of whom were men) and under theme: Practices that Enhance WOmen Participation in Local Governance in Africa – the UCLGA Agenda. Among the resolutions that aim to advance gender equality in local government were:
> Develop a Gender Policy Framework through which the organisation will champion gender mainstreaming, including affirmative action, gender equality and women’s empowerment policies, by all its members. > Ensure that the organisation’s member municipalities develop policies on HIV and AIDS mainstreaming, incorporate these into the various programmes of their departments, and make relevant budgetary allocations for them. > Engage, through the organisation’s national local government associations, all political parties, where the organisation is represented, in deliberations to agree on minimum levels of women’s involvement in local government. > Run awareness campaigns and capacity building initiatives and interventions to promote and support the election of women into municipal councils. > Ensure that the organisation’s member municipalities create enabling environments for the realization of 50/50 male/female representation in their councils and administrations. > The organisation’s Women’s Commission is renamed the Gender Commission so as to facilitate the participation, as well, of men in its work > Reach out to central governments through such structures as the All Africa Ministerial Conference on Decentralisation (AMCOD) and engage them on the creation or strengthening of legal frameworks in their countries to ensure participatory budgeting as an element of participatory democracy.
Read outcomes of the UCLGA Women’s Commission
Read full statement of the resolutions South Africa: Response to the xenophobia attacks not gender sensitive The seminar was aimed at opening the debate on how the needs of affected women and children could be better met. It is evident that to a large extent local government departments disaster management teams were caught unawares as they were not prepared to deal with a crisis of that magnitude. The Speaker of Ekuhuleni, Ms Pat Khumalo officially opened the meeting emphasising that this was a critical and spoke of her experience of Xenophobia in Canada saying the phenomenon was not unique to South Africa.
Councillor Sinah Gwebu spoke of the experiences in Alexandra Park, a township in Johannesburg, while the Ekurhuleni Deputy City Manager Ms Peta Mashinini chronicle their experiences as well as the strategy they adopted to deal with the crises. It is commendable that some affected areas such as councils in Ekurhuleni were able to give gender disaggregated data. Unfortunately this data did not inform interventions. Women were subjected to acts of sexual violence among other examples of revictimisation by men, often meant to be providing security from further attacks.
Another gap identified in the after-math is a lack of post-trauma services such as counselling. Some women have been reported to be suffering from depression and are failing to reintegrate because of fear of further attacks.
Angelica Pino from CSVR articulated the issues of xenophobia and prevention of gender violence using their recent study as a basis and emphasised that Xenophobia does not necessarily occur amongst the poor only and that poverty and lack of service delivery as an excuse for the violent attacks. While the attacks garnered a lot of media coverage, not all of it was balanced and gender sensitive coverage. For example the Daily Sun referred to foreign nationals as ‘aliens’ and the Media Monitoring Project has filed a complaint with the Media Council according to MMP Director, William Bird. The word is seen to contribute to the perpetuation of discrimination of non-native people. Bird also highlighted that the gender dimensions of xenophobia were largely ignored by most media outlets while some of the imagery perpetuated gender stereotypes. Particularly children and women were often portrayed as helpless victims. Two concrete proposals emerged. Local government needs to mainstream gender into disaster management plans and Ekurhuleni through the Executive Mayor, Ntombi Mekgwe who gave closing remarks committed to beginning the process. It was also suggested that a Local Government Gender and Xenophobia Conference be convened before the end of the year to thrash the subject further and map strategies for dealing with such kinds of crises. Seychelles: Gender Seychelles website launched The Gender Seychelles website was launched on 17th July 2008 by Minister for Health and Social Development, Mrs. Marie Pierre Lloyd. The Gender Secretariat has also been working hard on developing their new website in collaboration with the Department of ICT. This project is part and parcel of the UNECA E-network Project for National Gender Machineries in Africa. The Gender Seychelles website is linked to the regional portal and will in turn be linked through the portal, in the immediate future.
The Gender Seychelles website is a tool of the Gender Information Management Systems, which is a main mechanism in the Gender Management System (GMS). The website will be used to disseminate information on gender and gender mainstreaming activities, including publications from the Gender Secretariat. SADC GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT PROTOCOL Regional: Justice Ministers consider draft SADC Gender and Development Protocol The latest draft SADC Protocol on Gender and Development (Gender Protocol) which was approved by Ministers of Justice end of June 2008 is now available online click here.You are invited to comment on the draft by clicking here.
This draft is due for review by the SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials and the Council of Ministers in August 2008, before being submitted for adoption at the SADC Summit to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is the 8th official draft of a process that began in 2005 after the SADC Summit mandated the SADC Secretariat to facilitate the development of a Protocol that would elevate the 1997 SADC Declaration on Gender and Development and 1998 Addendum on the Prevention and Eradication of Violence against Women and Children into a legally binding document. The Gender Protocol aims to consolidate the key commitments on gender equality and women’s empowerment by SADC governments, with clear targets and measurable indicators in order to accelerate implementation and delivery. The Alliance @ the SADC Heads Of State Summit
The Southern African Protocol Alliance plans to hold a parallel session to the SADC Heads of State Summit from 14-16 August. The civil society gender summit will bring together activists from around the region in a final lobbying and advocacy effort for the adoption of the Protocol; as well as plan for future work. The parallel session will be held in Sandton, where the Heads of State summit is taking place. Participants will divide into caucus groups around the key strategic areas of the Protocol and agree on how these thematic groups will work in the future. One of these work streams will be on GBV, and this group will consider how to take forward the proposals on GBV indicators. The Alliance meeting will also witness the launch of an Economic Justice Network and a book called “Business Unusual: Gender and the Economy in Southern Africa” based on media training conducted by GL in ten Southern African countries. For more information contact Pamela Mhlanga on depdirector@genderlinks.org.za.
Zambia: National consultative meeting to drum up support for the Gender Protocol LEGISLATION
Botswana: Emang Basadi to Challenge Kgosi Sebele’s Judgment
Botswana’s pre-eminent women’s rights organisation, Emang Basadi, intends to challenge a decision by Bakwena Deputy Chief, Keineetse Sebele, recently in a case in which a Gantsi family was awarded property at the expense of a woman.
The women’s movement says it will see that justice is done for Gadza Maike whom it believes has been victimised only because she is a woman. Read moreSource: AllAfrica.com Zambia: Court reaches landmark decision in teacher rape case On 30 June 2008, the High Court of Zambia reached a groundbreaking decision in favor of a girl known as R.M. who was raped by her teacher at age 13. International human rights organization Equality Now has been actively involved in advocacy on behalf of R.M. The organization commends Judge Phillip Musonda for his landmark decision, which will have far-reaching implications in ensuring protection for girls from teacher rape and justice for girls who are raped by their teachers, a phenomenon not uncommon in Zambia and other countries.
Judge Philip Musonda of the High Court in Lusaka issued his decision awarding R.M. damages worth K45, 000,000. Calling the failure of the police to prosecute Hakasenke “a dereliction of duty,” the judge also referred the case to the Director of Public Prosecutions for a possible criminal prosecution. He further urged the Ministry of Education to set “regulations, which may stem such acts.” Uganda: Make marital rape a crime The Government should enact laws that can guard women against domestic and gender-based violence including marital rape, women rights’ activists have recommended. Esther Kisakye, a former attorney with FIDA, an organisation of women lawyers, challenged existing laws saying most lacked efficacy in dealing with the "endless" tribulations of women.
"Uganda’s laws do not recognise marital rape under the criminal law or family laws yet the vice is increasing," Kisakye, who is also an official at the Uganda Network on Law, Ethics and HIV/AIDS, said. Marital rape, she explained, occurred mostly where the husband was adulterous and his wife shuns sex for fear of being infected with HIV.
Source: AllAfrica.com SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, CULTURAL AND POLITICAL Namibia: Local government workshop tackles women representation While some SADC states have introduced measures aimed at boosting the level of women representation in government, the situation is far from achieving the 50 percent target for women in decision-making, as set by the sub-regional body.
Moreover, in countries that have embraced women’s participation and involvement in politics alongside their male counterparts, participation has only been at local government level, neglecting women representation at national level. This emerged at a recently concluded workshop on gender here. The workshop, which had regional councillors, government officials and community members in attendance was organized and facilitated by Gender Links. The workshop was part of a three-year programme that began with research on gender and local government in four southern African countries – Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia and South Africa. Read moreSource: NewEra.com Tanzania: Njombe women entrepreneurs get 13million in loans
Twenty five groups of women entrepreneurs in Njombe district, Iringa Region, have been granted loans totaling 13m/- from the district’s Women Development Fund (WDF). Opening a training session on entrepreneurship for leaders of the groups and a number of chairpersons from savings and credit societies before issuing the respective loan cheques, acting district executive director Shadrack Mhagama called on the recipient groups to ensure they abide by the repayment terms of the loans.
Elaborationg, he said the loans emanated from subscriptions by the council of 6m/- and 7/m-, which constituted loan repayments to WDF. The loans to be disbursed through SACCOS and which would be charged 10 percent interest, had to be repaid within a year, according to the district WDF coordinator Deborah Nsemwa.
Source: www.guardianltd.co.tz Africa: Cutting edge: Male circumcision By Masimba Biriwashe Male circumcision (removal of the foreskin of the male penis) is increasingly gaining currency as part of strategies to reduce HIV-infection. In sub-Saharan Africa, the worst affected region in the world, researchers say that male circumcision (MC) could prevent six million new infections in the next two decades. Yet there is need to examine just how far circumcision offers protection for men and women.
Despite the flurry of attention since the release of research results, the topic, like most issues of sexuality, remains mostly taboo in social circles. Although evidence points to the procedure as has having positive affects on HIV reduction, the procedure itself does nothing to address the many social factors of HIV prevalence – lack of access to health care for many people, stigma and cultural practices that reduce awareness and discussion, and gender imbalances. Read full article
Source: Gender Links Opinion and Commentary Service
Africa: A tale of two countries
By Colleen Lowe Morna As I breeze through check in formalities at Accra international airport on my non-stop evening flight to Johannesburg, I cannot help but flashback twenty-seven years ago to when I first started traveling to my second home through marriage from the country of my birth, Zimbabwe. How the tables have turned in less than one lifetime!
In those days there was one flight a week to Accra via Lagos on Balkan Airline. By comparison to Accra, Harare was the very essence of reason and tranquility. You went from a country bursting with hope to one whose bright star in blazing the trail to Africa’s independence had fallen to its lowest ebb with each successive coup. As I flashback to that moment, I am reading the headlines in the Daily Graphic about Robert Mugabe, the global pariah, even in Africa, even in Ghana, his second home through marriage. Ghana, which once proudly claimed Mugabe as its son-in-law, has turned its back on him as well. Read full articleSource: Gender Links Opinion and Commentary Service
SERVICES
DRC: Government unveils programme to fight against sexual violence
A round table was convened in Kisingani as part of a strategy to fight against sexual violence. Organised by United Nations Commission of Human Rights with support of Canada and Belgium, the forum intended to lead to the harmonisation of approaches and programmes by different partners. The Deputy Minister of Justice, Bazibuye Namugabo shared central government’s plan with the participants. The programme is structured around six themes: Government also aims to fight against impunity of sexual violence perpetrators which is often caused by ignorance of the law by victims; failure of the justice system and failure of the prison system. DRC: "Green Line" for sexual violence survivors launched UNFPA and Ministry of Gender have launched a Green Line for victims of sexual violence. The calls are received by members of the provincial synergy against sexual violence that direct victims to appropriate service providers. These could be medical, legal or psychological service providers. A campaign to publicise the Green Line has been launched with the media mainly in Kinshasa. South Africa: National Shelter Network to be launched The quality of services for women and children affected by gender violence is set to improve with the launch of a National Shelter Network on the 4th of August 2008. A National Shelter Network will ensure better coordination and better response to survivors of gender violence. NISAA Institute for Women Development is poised to host the Network. For more information contact: Romila Pillay
Lesotho: Children dial 800 22 345 for help In the two months since the government of Lesotho launched the county’s first national child helpline, almost 500 orphans and vulnerable children have picked up the phone to demand assistance and an ear.
Lesotho’s population of orphans and vulnerable children continues to swell on the back of one of the world’s worst HIV/AIDS epidemics, but the new initiative provides a glimmer of hope or, at least, someone willing to listen. "Children are encouraged to talk about their problems without judgment or fear of making things worse. While a child’s reason for calling may vary, one factor remains the same: a child is asking to be heard," said Nafisa Binte-Shafique, the Youth and Adolescent Development Specialist at the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The government of Lesotho, with support from UNICEF, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the Lesotho Telecommunication authorities, opened the lines to the service on 30 April 2008. Read moreSource: IRIN PlusNews Zimbabwe: More women in Zimbabwe access reproductive health care Zimbabwe has made great strides in championing the rights of women as well as improving reproductive health, an official with the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers’ Association has said. Speaking at a family planning workshop, which coincided with commemorations for World Population Day, ZWLA director Ms Emilia said more women in Zimbabwe now had access to health care while gender equality had also improved over the years. She urged stakeholders, particularly the private sector, to continue assisting Government to ensure it maintained and boosted its record on women rights and reproductive health. "Zimbabwe’s legal framework on women rights and reproductive health is encouraging," she said.
"More and more women now have access to health services," she said, adding this was one of the most important basic human rights. Ms Muchana said the National Family Planning Act, which led to the establishment of a National Family Planning Council, was evidence of Government’s efforts to provide access to reproductive health and the right for all people to be able to decide the number and timing of their children. Read more
EDUCATION, TRAINING AND AWARENESS BUILDING
Seychelles: Online petition on campaign against gender violence
An event was held to encourage members of the public are being encouraged to sign the on-line UNIFEM petition as a show of solidarity. The event sends a clear message to the people of Seychelles and the international community, that the Seychelles Government is committed towards supporting the global campaign on the alleviation of violence against women. Linking this event to the launching ceremony for the National Strategy on Domestic Violence showed that Seychelles is matching its actions with its signatures, through the implementation of a National Strategy, that will enable the multiple service providers dealing with domestic violence to use a more integrated approach, that more efficiently and effectively meets the holistic needs of clients and address this multi-faceted problem. The event was publicised on the Gender Seychelles website, and on other sites such as the UNIFEM Say No to Violence website. Gem Plus Chairperson. Sharon Thelemaque was amongst guests including members of parliament, Principal Secretaries, members of the diplomatic corps who signed the e petition. Global: Join the online discussion on preparing for CSW in New York The purpose of the online discussion is to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the issues and to identify good practices and strategies required to accelerate gender equality in this regard .Background Traditional gender roles and stereotypes often narrowly define the division of labour between women and men, and girls and boys in the domestic sphere. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has compounded the care responsibilities of women and girls. Unequal sharing of responsibilities between women and men limits women’s participation in the labour market, and can lead to increased responsibilities for women when they are employed. It also has implications for women’s full participation in decision-making in all areas, limiting their potential to find the time and develop the skills needed for their full participation. Girls and young women are expected to manage both educational and domestic responsibilities, often resulting in poor scholastic performance and early drop-out from the educational system. Read more Seychelles: Confronting violence
By Mercedes Sayagues
Security is discrete but tight at the airport in Victoria, the capital of the Seychelles archipelago, to root out drug trafficking. The heavy suitcase I am carrying, packed with documents from Gender Links, is a sure candidate for a thorough screening: last to be disgorged on the conveyor belt and marked by airport staff with big Xs in white chalk. A customs officer signals. I open it, show the large collection of brochures, and explain that I am facilitating a workshop on domestic violence. The customs officer perks up. “There is a lot of that here and the press does not cover it properly,” she says.
Bingo! I am not even past immigration and already I have a key workshop message from a local media consumer: journalists and editors need training to better report on this and other social issues.
INTEGRATED APPROACHES
Seychelles: National Strategy on Domestic Violence to be popularised The Gender Secretariat in the Ministry of Health and Social Development convened a workshop in collaboration with Gender Links to develop a communication strategy for the National Strategy on Domestic Violence.
The main aim of the strategy is to strengthen and synthesise activities of multiple stakeholders for an integrated and efficient response to domestic violence > Educate the public to understand the extent, causes and consequences of domestic violence in Seychelles > Sensitise judiciary, legal agencies and law enforcements about legislative changes > Raise awareness on rehabilitation of known perpetrators > Rehabilitation of victims of violence > Raise awareness on the link between intimate partners and child abuse
The workshop also planned a campaign for the Sixteen Days of Activism in 2008, a time earmarked to launch the communication strategy. An organising committee was established and assigned responsibilities. The stories of survivors galvanized the group’s strong commitment to achieve its vision of a country where homes are peaceful, loving and safe.
The Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Ministry of Health and Social Development, Ms. Anne Lafortune, closed the workshop and gave participants their certificates. Madagascar: Only a multisector approach will help eliminate gender violence
"Only a multi-sector approach will help eliminate gender violence" said Senator Johanita Ndahinananjara at the opening of a workshop to craft a National Action Plan to End Gender Violence. This is in line with recommendations made by the UN Secretary General 2006 report on Violence Against Women. Convened by the Federation for Promotion of Women and Children (FPFE) with the technical assistance from Gender Links, the workshop was held from the 16th – 18th June 2008.
At the end of the workshop a Steering Committee comprising of representatives of Ministries concerned, representatives of NGOs, the media, Madagascar Action Plan and parliamentarians was set up to present the Draft Action Plan to decision makers. The Plan will be officially launched during the Sixteen Days campaign against gender violence on 25th November 2008. It will be disseminated during the campaign through a variety of activities including radio programmes. Radio programmes will include laws and legislation, services to survivors of gender violence as well as getting survivors to talk. Representatives of NGOs of Tamatave and Tananarive who participated in the workshop will share experiences during cyber-dialogues, video conferences that will take place during the Sixteen Days campaign. They highlighted the importance of specific laws to prevent domestic violence, and special clauses on sexual harassment and other sexual offences. They would also like to see rehabilitation and residential centres for survivors with psychological and social aids. With regards to the HIV and AIDS pandemy participants would like to see centres that offer PEP to all survivors of sexual abuse to minimise the risk of contracting the virus. An important part of the Action Plan concern the sensitisation of the community at large and the training of journalists. The national action plan will run from 2008 – 2011 and has six major strategic objectives.
Mozambique: Ministry of Women reviews National Action Plan to End Gender Violence
Civil society organisations made a formal submission to the Ministry of Women during the national consultative meeting to review the National Action Plan to End Gender Violence. The meeting which drafted the submission that preceeded the national consultative process was held from 30 June – 1 July and received technical assistance from Gender Links. The presentation was done on the 2nd of July. The plan will soon be finalised and formally adopted. View the workshop report in Portuguese View the formal submission to Ministry of Women in Portuguese View the Ministry of Women’s National Action Plan to End Gender Violence. ADDRESS GENDER BASED VIOLENCE: What works?
In the next few editions we will feature a series of best practices of the prevention of gender based violence. These case studies were gathered during a mapping exercise of promising violence prevention models in South Africa. Gender Links was commissioned by the Inter Departmental Management Team of the South Africa Government under the leadership of the National Prosecuting Authority-Sexual Offences and Community Affairs Unit and UNICEF.
You are invited to submit case studies of ‘What is working in addressing gender based violence." Contributions should be sent to Loveness Jambaya Nyakujarah: justice@genderlinks.org.za
This month we feature an example of programmes which focus on working with men. South Africa: Working with men
Stepping Stones
Prevention of gender violence will only be successful by involving men not just as perpetrators but as partners. Research says that five out of six men are non-abusers. The challenge is for these five out of six men to take a bold stand up and be counted in the fight against the scourge. While more initiatives are being developed in South Africa, this section documents Stepping Stones as a promising model that that involves men in the prevention of gender violence and HIV and AIDS. Another reason why it holds potential is because it involves young boys – “catch them young”
Stepping Stones is a programme for HIV prevention that aims to improve sexual health through building stronger, more gender-equitable relationships with better communication between partners. Read about Stepping Stones UPCOMING EVENTS
Please share your views and feedback, and anything you want included in the next issue of the newsletter with justice@genderlinks.org.za
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