GTA capacity strengthening for Diepsloot youth

Gender transformative approaches have become tools in striving towards achieving Gender equality and ending gender injustice for all in society. Strengthening the capacity of young people in engaging on GTA equips them with knowledge to meaningfully engage in addressing gender issues. Under the Going for Goal project currently being implemented in Diepsloot, Sonke hosted a […]

Sonke calls for accountability and adequate compensation for Tandiswa Tokwe

A former domestic worker of South Africa’s ambassador to Japan, Smuts Ngonyama has come forward with allegations of abuse by the ambassador’s wife and former director of the Department of Social Development Nokwazi Ngonyama. The alleged abuse against Tandiswa Tokwe took place while she was working at the ambassador’s diplomatic residence in Tokyo and the […]

SASSA grants payment delays unacceptable

Sonke calls out the Social Development department for incompetence and delays in payment of social grants to the vulnerable. Thousands of South African Social Security Agency grant beneficiaries were left stranded at automated teller machines last week after not receiving their pay outs due to technical glitches caused by the Postbank. While the bank is responsible […]

The conviction of an Mpumalanga rapist pastor a step in the right direction

Sonke Gender Justice welcomes the stiff judgment of an Mpumalanga pastor, John Masilela who sexually abused teenage boys from his congregation for nearly eight years. The conviction of a 55 year sentence on four counts of rape and seven counts of sexual assault, serves as a testament that no one is above the law, and […]

Sonke to interrogate the linkages between climate change and Gender Based Violence

To wrap up Women’s month, Sonke Gender Justice will host a series of events to explore the gendered impact of climate change and its effects on gender based violence. Women’s month is an opportunity to gauge how far South Africa has come in addressing gender inequality and other forms of social injustices that continue to […]

Its time to recognize South African women sports teams’ contribution to social cohesion

07 August 2023 – Sonke Gender Justice applauds South African Women sports teams for exceptional performances respectively, in various tournaments. Although Banyana Banyana’s journey on the FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament ended after their loss to the Netherlands, the team made history last week when they became the first ever South African national football team […]

Sonke Safeguarding/SEAH capacity strengthening sessions in Malawi and Uganda

Sonke conducted Safeguarding/SEAH (Sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment) capacity strengthening sessions with each of the Power To Youth partners in Malawi from the 22-26 May 2023, and Uganda from 17-21 April 2023. Sonke visited each organisation and held separate sessions with staff from each of the individual organizations and then 2 collective sessions (one in […]

Strengthening male engagement in HIV prevention, treatment, and care: Successes in eSwatini and Kenya

In a concerted effort to address the challenges and seize the opportunities related to male engagement in HIV prevention, treatment, and care, a three-day country engagement workshop was recently held in eSwatini and Kenya. The workshops, facilitated by Sonke Gender Justice’s Jude Thaddues Njikem and Fredalene Booysen brought together stakeholders from civil society organizations, government […]

MenEngage Africa annual general meeting

MenEngage(MEA), Sonke Gender Justice, and MenEngage Rwanda hosted the 2023 MEA Annual General Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, virtually from June 1st to 2nd, 2023, as part of MenEngage Africa’s (MEA) governance requirements, with MEA delegates from 24 countries in attendance. This year’s meeting was an elective AGM, with a new regional steering committee elected. Countries […]

GEN-G community engagements – 5 to 9 June 2023

Generation Gender Uganda successfully organized a series of impactful community engagements in the regions of Namutumba and Iganga. These community engagements led by the Center for Health, Human Rights, and Development (CEHURD), served as a platform to foster dialogue, raise awareness, and advocate for gender justice and young people’s rights. Through interactive discussions with stakeholders, […]

Gender transformative approach linking and learning between Uganda and Malawi

Since 2020, Implementing partners under the Power to Youth program in Uganda and Malawi have applied Gender Transformative Approach, GTA in their work. According to Rutgers, GTA has six principles including using human rights as a basis for all interventions, analyzing and critically addressing power dynamics, harmful gender norms and values, gender, and diversity, focusing […]

Working with traditional leaders to combat Gender Based Violence.

MenEngage Namibia (MEN) facilitated a training with traditional leaders of the Kabbe Sub-Traditional court in the Zambezi Region from 13 and April 14, 2023, to empower male traditional leaders to address gender-based violence and promote gender equality in the Zambezi region. The training aimed to foster gender equality and eradicate the menace of GBV from […]

All Roads lead to Rwanda for the 3rd MenEngage Africa Symposium

MenEngage Africa, in collaboration with Sonke Gender Justice, MenEngage Rwanda, and Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre-RWAMREC, are organising the third MenEngage Africa Symposium scheduled to take place in Kigali, Rwanda from the 14th to 16th of August 2023, under the theme; “Accountability and Transformation through Gender-Equitable Evidence-Based Programming”. This event will bring together MenEngage Africa members […]

Rape-accused ANC councilor earning a salary while imprisoned is unacceptable

30 June 2023 – Sonke Gender Justice is outraged to learn that rape accused ANC councillor Tebogo Sepale continues to earn a salary as a ward councillor in the Matlosana local municipality while imprisoned. Sepale faces 11 provisional charges, two for statutory rape, three for the violation of a child’s consent, one for manufacturing pornographic […]

Sonke Gender Justice welcomes the conviction of footballer Thembinkosi Lorch

09 June 2023 – Sonke Gender Justice welcomes the judgement against Orlando Pirates soccer star Thembinkosi Lorch, who has been found guilty of assaulting his girlfriend Fundiswa Mathithibala in 2020, by the Randburg Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg. In January 2021 the assault case against the football player was provisionally withdrawn by the magistrate’s court, as […]

The increase in murder cases of women and children in South Africa alarming

02 June 2023 – Sonke Gender Justice is concerned about the reported increase in murder cases of women and children in South Africa, as Police Minister Bheki Cele released the statistics for crimes recorded between January and March 2023 earlier this week. More than nine hundred women are reported to have been killed, while just […]

Sonke Gender Justice welcomes the conviction of Gerhard Ackerman

Johannesburg, 28 April 2023 – Sonke welcomes the conviction of child sex abuse ring kingpin Gerhard Ackerman for the crimes he committed. The Gauteng High Court found Ackerman guilty of multiple charges linked to a child sex abuse ring that he masterminded. Ackerman targeted vulnerable teenage boys between the ages of 14 and 16, recruiting […]

MenEngage Africa Alliance Symposium 2023 – call for abstracts

The Men Engage Africa Alliance (MEA) will be holding its 3rd  Symposium from 14 to 16 August 2023. The symposium will be bringing over 200 participants including MEA members, civil society organizations, government agencies, strategic partners, private, academia and UN agencies, for a three-day symposium under the theme “Accountability and Transformation through gender-equitable evidence-based programming.” […]

A call for the African Union Commission to urgently intervene in Sudan conflict

Johannesburg, 26 April 2023 – Sonke Gender Justice is deeply saddened by the  current political conflict in Sudan. Fighting between the country’s armed forces and the  paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted early this month in North Darfur,  following months of tensions over a power-sharing deal, amid an attempted transition to  democracy after a military […]

A spotlight on intimate partner violence

Sonke Gender Justice in collaboration with Mosaic Training, Service & Healing Centre (Mosaic) hosted a two-day national stakeholder dialogue themed “From Policy to Accountability: Challenges and Opportunities in Addressing Intimate Partner Violence in South Africa” from the 20th to the 21st of April in Johannesburg. The forum brought together participants from various civil society organisations […]

Sonke Gender Justice laments South Africa’s failing justice system

Johannesburg, 14 April 2023 – Sonke Gender Justice condemns what it calls a woeful South African justice system. This comes as charges against the four men accused of killing Hillary Gardee have been provisionally withdrawn due to the unavailability of state witnesses. Gardee, who is the daughter of former EFF secretary-general Godrich Gardee, was found […]