Gender based violence in SADC

– Angola and Zambia bring the total to eleven SADC countries that have to adopted specific legislation on domestic violence; Zambia has developed a model Anti-Gender Based Violence Act, 2011.
– The number of SADC countries with GBV legislation is set to rise to 14 with Lesotho, Seychelles and Swaziland next in line.
– Only seven SADC countries currently have specific legislation that relates to sexual offences. Only one country, South Africa, has specific provisions for Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP).
– Lesotho becomes the seventh SADC country after Mauritius, Madagascar, Mozambique, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia to pass legislation on preventing human trafficking.
– Three churches have adopted “the Zambian Church Declaration on Gender Injustice and Gender Based Violence”.
– Local government councils beginning to develop Sixteen Day campaigns showcased at the annual Gender Justice and Local Government Summit.
– Thirteen SADC countries are at some stage of developing and or adopting a National Action Plan (NAP) to end Gender Violence. Only Angola and Madagascar have no NAPS. Four countries have draft NAPS; five have adopted NAPS; one – Mauritius – is at an advanced stage of implementation. Lesotho and Mauritius have both adopted and costed their NAPS.
–  The GBV Indicators Project is a regional research study that will provide baseline data for effectively measuring progress towards halving gender violence by 2015.
– The SADC Gender Protocol does not carry any specific provisions against GBV towards lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgendered and intersexed (of LGBTI). This is a growing area of concern that requires action.