Sonke Gender Justice statement on budget votes for SA’s Ministry of Women
Sonke Gender Justice (“Sonke”) welcomes the creation of the new Ministry of Women and its location in the Office of the Presidency. We support Minister Susan Shabangu’s commitment, as stated in her 16 July speech on the budget vote,to improving monitoring and evaluation and gender-responsive budgeting. During this time of transition, we urge the Minister […]
“Bring the Men and Make it Sexy” – Sonke poster highlights findings from gender analysis for microbicide introduction
“Bring the Men and Make it Sexy!” – these were two of the main findings of a recently concluded countrywide analysis of the gender related issues that could hamper or accelerate the introduction of and access to an ARV based vaginal gel that has the potential to protect women from HIV. This Sonke poster, being […]
Sonke at the 20th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia
Please find attached the schedule of panels and events at which Sonke delegates will be presenting during the 20th International AIDS Conference (IAC) this week in Melbourne. If you’re at the IAC, please look out for our delegates and also for our MIND THE GAP stickers bringing attention to the urgent need for health systems […]
Sonke supports petition for 10 days paternity leave in South Africa
This month, Hendri Terblanche gave birth to an important petition, just eight months after his twin children were born prematurely. His petition, which seeks to provide new fathers with 10 days paternity leave, was submitted to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) and officially received and acknowledged by NCOP Chair, Thandi Modise, two weeks ago. […]
Sonke welcomes release of health activists and calls for government investigation into their arrest
Sonke Gender Justice (Sonke) welcomes the release of the 127 community healthcare workers and Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) activists who were arrested during a vigil and peaceful sit-in at the head office of the Free State’s Health Department on Thursday, 9 July 2014. The sit-in was staged after health workers failed to gain an audience […]
Expresso Morning Show – SABC 3
Sonke followers, you can also share your views on the debate on Expresso Morning Show – SABC 3 Facebook page Sonke Gender Justice is a NGO and this morning we focus on one of their various portfolios (MenCare). Initiating steps to encourage parents to use positive discipline rather than spanking or hitting their children. What do […]
Sonke welcomes Itumeleng Komanyane’s appointment to UN Women’s Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Civil Society Advisory Group
Sonke Gender Justice is pleased to announce that Itumeleng Komanyane, Sonke’s International Programmes Network (IPN) Manager, has been selected as a member of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Civil Society Advisory Group to UN Women – the branch of the United Nations that focuses on gender equality and the empowerment of women. UN Women […]
Sonke’s International Programmes Manager talks about sexual violence in conflict on London’s ResonanceFM
Sonke’s International Programmes Manager appeared on “Talking Africa”, a show on London’s Resonance FM, to bring attention to the importance of addressing sexual violence in conflict. Last week, she was in London at the Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict – what was reported as the largest-ever gathering on this subject. Listen here to this […]
South African refugees celebrated for fortitude and fashion contributions at World Refugee Day event
Today, on June 20th, the world celebrates World Refugee Day. In Cape Town, civil society organisations and artists from all over the world gathered to honour the courage and strength of the millions of men, women and children who fled their homes under threat of persecution. About a hundred people attended the event which was […]
Sonke and University of Pretoria offer human rights short-course: “The Role of Men and Boys in Achieving Gender Equality”
Sonke Gender Justice, the Gender Unit at the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, and the Centre for the Study of AIDS at the University of Pretoria – with the support of Irish Aid – are pleased to invite applications for their annual human rights short-course “The Role of Men and Boys […]
Sonke commends Minister for commitment to promoting positive discipline and prohibiting corporal punishment
On Youth Day, Sonke Gender Justice commends the Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini, for her commitment to promote positive discipline and prohibit corporal punishment in all settings. As the nation celebrates our youth on June 16th, Sonke Gender Justice (“Sonke”) commends Minister Bathabile Dlamini for working to ensure South African youth are safe. This month, […]
Sonke delegation in London for the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict
This is the largest global gathering on this subject. Sonke is coordinating a number of events at the summit, and today we release our IMAGES survey from the DRC. See our full programme at the summit, below.
In-depth report on gender and conflict in Eastern DRC reveals high levels of violence and inequality
Sonke and Promundo have released the complete results from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which reveal high levels of gender-based violence and the continuing effects of conflict on couple and family relations. Download the report here.
MenEngage Alliance Statement on recent Post-2015 Open Working Group Session
Sonke Gender Justice commends those Member State representatives of the Open Working Group (OWG) of the General Assembly who have made statements or taken actions to support gender equality. MenEngage is a global alliance of NGOs and UN agencies that seeks to engage boys and men to achieve gender equality, including more than 400 NGOs […]
From research to action: Preventing violence against children
Sonke’s MenCare Media and Government Relations Manager, Patrick Godana, attended the UNICEF, Government of Swaziland and Together for Girls convened global meeting on violence against children in Swaziland last week.
Sonke’s Child Protection & Positive Discipline portfolio manager talks about positive discipline on Radio RSG
During Child Protection Week, Sonke’s Wessel van den Berg and Andre Lewaks talk on Growing Pains (Groeipyne with Johan van Lill) on Radio Sonder Grense (Radio Without Borders) about how to use positive discipline and about Sonke’s efforts to promote positive ways of parenting that spare the spank as well as the rod. You can […]
Sonke’s Wessel van den Berg and Andre Lewaks will be on Radio RSG today
Sonke’s Wessel van den Berg and Andre Lewaks will be on Radio RSG today, on a show called Growing Pains (Groeipyne with Johan van Lill) from 12-12:30pm – they are talking to parents about how to use positive discipline and about Sonke’s efforts to promote positive ways of parenting that spare the spank as well […]
Sonke’s Sisonke Msimang interviews a sexworker on the decriminalization of sex work
Sonke’s Sisonke Msimang co-hosts with Eusebius McKaiser! She interviews Pauline, a sexworker, about why sex work should be decriminalized. Listen on our soundcloud playlist:
Sonke Gender Justice calls on parents and caregivers to cease spanking during child protection month (June)
It takes 28 days to change a habit – use Child Protection Month to improve your parenting habits! ‘I never spanked my child, even though everyone around me was doing it. Today she is an adult, and tells me that it helped her to grow into a responsible and caring person.’ — Mbuyiselo Botha – […]
Civil Society applauds verdict in sex work murder case
The Sex Worker Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT), Sisonke Sex Worker Movement, the Women’s Legal Centre and Sonke Gender Justice welcome the judgment handed down by the Western Cape High Court on 29 April 2014 that found double murder accused Johannes de Jager guilty of raping and murdering Hiltina Alexander, a sex worker, in May […]
Sonke Gender Justice calls on government to follow through on commitment to gender parity
Premiers Sonke Gender Justice is very disappointed that seven out of nine of our premieres are men. This is a dramatic reversal from the previous administration where four of the ANC’s eight premiers were women. Western Cape being the DA led government continues to appoints only two women out of nine MEC’s and this is […]
Sisonke Msimang named a New Voices Fellow at the Aspen Institute
Sonke Gender Justice congratulates Sisonke Msimang, Director of Advocacy and Accountability at Sonke, who has just been named a New Voices Fellow at the Aspen Institute, an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. The Aspen Fellowship is a groundbreaking initiative, supported by the Bill; Melinda Gates Foundation, designed to bring more expert […]
Second Global MenEngage Symposium
MenEngage announces the second MenEngage Global Symposium which will be held In New Delhi, India from November 10-13th, 2014. The symposium will bring together researchers, practitioners, advocates, activists, government representatives and the donor community to share experiences, evidence and insights, and to explore how men and boys can creatively contribute to gender equality and towards […]
Three of our peer educators share their stories
Here are three beautiful short documentaries chronicling the lives of three of our peer educators working on our One Man Can community mobilisation randomised control trial in Bushbuckridge. Each of these is only five minutes long and absolutely worth watching. Filmmaker Colby Gottert beautifully documents stories of transformation through Sonke’s One Man Can (OMC) community mobilisation project […]
