Blog – Sexual violence

This blog shares findings of the Knowledge Exchange along with discussions and resources shared during the webinar: Healing from Sexual Violence: Body-focused mental health approaches.

The family is the site of extremely violent incidents in South African society—particularly involving women and children. What can the state do?

Using the data gathered through the app, the Flone Initiative aims to create a comprehensive database on gender-based violence hotspots across Kenya, particularly on public transport and other public transport spaces, so that Kenyan women can plan safer journeys for themselves and their loved ones. The data will also give government authorities, public transport operators, and civil society movements a deeper understanding of gender-based violence across Kenya, identifying unmet needs, raising public awareness and helping to shape policy on safety in public spaces.

Religious communities in South Africa are often violent towards the LGBTQIA+ community. The forms of violence are wide-ranging. Faith communities are called to be healers and agents of justice. Therefore, listening to LGBTQIA+ people’s stories is one way to combat the stereotypes, bias and prejudice that nurtures violence.

It is the end of women’s month in South Africa, and for me it still feels like being a woman in South Africa is moving from LOVE to DEATH

The Ulutsha Street Festival 2018 turned out to be an ideal family event on a typical windy winter day in Port Elizabeth. This year’s Festival once again highlighted how public spaces can be transformed into positive spaces for recreation and social interaction. Further, the Festival demonstrated how festivals can be used as both recreational opportunities as well as opportunities to raise awareness on key social issues, such as gender-based violence and violence against children.

South Africa desperately needs an ambitious, fully-costed and multi-sectoral plan that effectively addresses the factors that give rise to gender-based violence, and that provides comprehensive services to survivors of violence. Gender-based violence need not be a South African reality.

The rollout of sexual offences courts is essential for ensuring that survivors have access to survivor-centred justice. In this blog, Jeanne Bodenstein discusses how the Rape Survivors’ Justice Campaign engaged with magistrates and Parliament on the legislative framework for sexual offences courts.

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the M&G’s Bhekisisa is launching a free gender-based violence helpline in Diepsloot

In communities like Lavender Hill and Vrygrond, domestic violence seems omnipresent. The “Prevention in Action” campaign recently educated community members on domestic violence and empowered them to become activists in making their communities safer places.