Ending Gender-Based Violence & Femicide
Sonke works to end gender-based violence through a holistic, rights-based approach that addresses the root causes of violence and promotes gender equality. We engage men and boys as allies in prevention through alliances such as MenEngage Africa and initiatives like the One Man Can campaign, while also supporting survivors and communities with education, advocacy, and legal support.
We strengthen the capacity of governments, civil society, and citizens to advance gender justice and womxn’s rights, prevent GBV and reduce the spread of HIV and the impact of AIDS, and in this way contribute to social justice and the elimination of poverty.
We work at multiple levels such as community, institutional, and policy, using public campaigns, capacity building, and legal reform to challenge harmful gender norms and strengthen accountability systems. Our efforts also include developing digital tools, such as the GenG Engage app, and producing training resources and toolkits.
We work closely with youth to ensure meaningful and inclusive participation in the design and implementation of programming. We also collaborate with religious and traditional leaders to shift harmful social norms and support transformation within communities.
Through our programmes, we have helped shift narratives and practices that sustain gender inequality, promoted gender justice among youth through school-based workshops, intergenerational dialogues, and advanced child protection through legal and policy analysis and advocacy to end corporal punishment in schools.
We have also provided legal literacy, paralegal support, and rights education to several individuals including people living with HIV, sex workers, and migrants. These efforts have strengthened access to health services and justice and public interest submissions to national and regional bodies.
