Case studies from the Rights, Action, Accountability programme
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Desiderata for gender parity
This paper looks at 26 selected companies in Nigeria and explores factors responsible for women’s under-representation at leadership level of these organisations. It also recommends appropriate action to remedy the lack of women leadership.
Rights, Action & Accountability
This report outlines the results of research conducted from January 2019 to March 2019 on Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe. The research was conducted on Projects implemented in Freetown and Bo District in Sierra Leon and Matetsi, Zimbabwe. This Country Case Study was conducted as part of an assessment of the effectiveness of Sonke Gender Justices […]
The challenge of unlearning
This study contributes to a better understanding of masculinities and gender norms in Liberia and how these could be addressed to promote more positive forms of masculinities. It furthermore assesses how gender norms impact sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). The study has been commissioned by the Swedish Embassy, with input from and the support of […]
Working with religious communities to end gender-based violence
Around the world, we see an increase in conservatism, leading societies away from human rights, towards more dogmatic beliefs. Women are disproportionately affected by this shift, with limitations to their rights, the reinforcement of the male hierarchy and the marginalisation of sexual and gender diversity. At the same time, the influence of religious leaders in […]
Together: Addressing the Gender Dimensions of Migration and Health
This case study provides a detailed account of the pathway to achieving two key outcomes in the “Together: Addressing the Gender Dimensions of Migration and Health” project implemented by Sonke Gender Justice in collaboration with their civil society partners. The overall aim of the project was to assess and address the gendered vulnerabilities associated with […]
Understanding the implications of the closure of refugee reception offices for the lives of women asylum seekers
This report documents the experiences of five individual refugee women affected by the closure of Refugee Reception Offices (RROs) in several parts of South Africa. Without access to these offices, asylum seekers face challenges regularising their stay, with negative repercussions on their daily lives. The report documents some of these challenges in three case studies […]
The impact of the ‘Global Gag Rule’ on migrant women and women from poor households in Cape Town
The USA’s ‘Global Gag Rule’, officially called ‘Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance’, was reinstated in 2017 when the Republican administration returned to office. This policy “prohibits US global health assistance from being provided to foreign nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) that perform abortion in cases other than a threat to the life of the woman, rape […]
Building on Solid Foundations
In October 2017 Sonke Gender Justice and Men Engage Africa hosted the Five Days of Gender Based Violence Prevention Meeting in South Africa. The purpose of the meeting was to share ideas, exchange promising practices, collect evidence that can strengthen collective advocacy and develop innovative ideas on “mainstreaming” violence prevention. In preparation for the meeting, […]
Pollsmoor
This case study examines reform that alleviated severe overcrowding and inhumane conditions in Pollsmoor Male Remand Detention Facility (Pollsmoor Remand), a South African incarceration centre for people awaiting trial and sentencing. From the early 2000s, Pollsmoor Remand has been operating at more than 200% of its approved capacity, with an average occupancy of more than […]
MenEngage Africa Training Initiative Most Significant Change Stories
Under the auspices of MenEngage Africa (MEA), for the past five years Sonke Gender Justice has coordinated the MenEngage Africa Training Initiative (MATI) in partnership with the University of California Global Heath Institute (UCGHI) and the Women’s Health Research Unit of the University of Cape Town (UCT). The intensive 14-day training course aims to contribute […]
Engaging men in rural Uganda
Over the years, the government of Uganda and other development partners encouraged the formation of women’s groups, called Women in Economic Empowerment (WEE) groups, in order to ease access to financial support, as one way of increasing household income and empowering women. However, this exposure to disposable income has been, to some extent, a contributor […]
National dialogue to prevent violence against women
As part of this project, ABAAD succeeded in holding seven national dialogue sessions between 10 feminist organisations and six religious leaders, representing various religions and sects in Lebanon, to discuss common ground in ending VAW. The goal of these sessions was to explore both commonalities and differences on the topic could be explored and identified.
Training the police
In Jakarta, Rutgers WPF Indonesia collaborated with the National Indonesian Police. A total of 75 participants from three training cohorts from different provinces in Indonesia took part. The themes of the trainings included: sex and gender; masculinity; GBV; stages of behavioural changes; basic counselling skills; anger management; sexuality; caregiving; and father’s legacies. The training addressed […]
Bandebereho / Role Model
The MenCare+ programme in Rwanda reveals 40% less violence in men against their partners. The programme in Rwanda (known as Bandebereho, meaning ‘role model’ in Kinyarwanda) built the skills needed to have stronger, more equal and non-violent relationships among couples. Focusing on power and gender roles, the programme transformed ideas and norms about who does […]
Preventing violence and promoting fatherhood in Pakistan
A campaign on fatherhood was conducted in Pakistan to encourage the transformation of negative gender norms to prevent GBV and to promote the rights of all women and girls. A set of community strategies were designed and implemented as part of this outreach, with a view to engaging multiple stakeholders in an effort to reduce […]
Survivors of prisoner rape tell their stories for the first time
Most of us have never heard about the horror of prisoner rape from someone who has survived it, and whose life was changed forever as a result. Most of us have not heard that much about prisoner rape at all. These stories are told by three exceptionally brave men who have come forward to talk […]
Mobilising Men All Over the Country to Join in and Support Each Other
South African women and girls face some of the highest levels of violence in the world. 1 in every 4 South African men admits to have raped a woman. Undeniably, it is men who commit the majority of acts of domestic and sexual violence. But many men and boys are strongly opposed to this violence […]
Sonke’s One Man Can Campaign Supports Peacebuilding and Gender Equality in Sudan
Sonke Gender Justice developed and launched the One Man Can (OMC) campaign and toolkit in 2006. The aim of the campaign is to support men and boys to advocate for gender equality and change those gender norms which drive gender-based violence (GBV) and the spread of HIV. This case study explores the impact of the […]
“I Have Two Healthy Hands”
A man in the kitchen makes for an unusual sight in most places, urban or rural, in South Africa and is often accompanied by snide comments, mocking laughter or a shaking of heads in disapproval – from men as well as from women. Patriarchy remains the widely accepted social norm and gender roles are clearly […]
“Sometimes I Don’t Feel Safe”
With support from United Nations children’s fund UNICEF, Sonke launched its PhotoVoice project in June to make children’s voices heard through photography and writing. The first four-day workshop took place with 20 children at Mphathesitha High School in Nkandla and created a space for boys and girls to talk about their experiences, hopes and dreams […]
“Sport Laughs in the Face of Discrimination”
Street soccer is a long-standing African tradition and played in teams of six on a small field, with each game lasting only seven minutes. Sonke teamed up with Ambitious Youth of Khayelitsha (AYK), a crime prevention programme for youth, and youth development organisation Amandla Kulutsha to run a soccer tournament in Site B of Khayelitsha. […]
Silence Speaks
While stereotyped representations of masculinity and sensationalized portrayals of gender-based violence can readily be found in global popular media, the Sonke digital stories present an alternative vision—one that emphasizes the importance of reflection, hope, and a vision of change. Silence Speaks has worked with Sonke to coordinate nine workshops, including two pilot sessions, an assistant […]
The Equality Courts as a Tool for Gender Transformation
In March 2009, Sonke Gender Justice Network filed a complaint at the Equality Court in Johannesburg against the ANC Youth League Leader, Julius Malema. The complaint was lodged in response to remarks he made to university students concerning Jacob Zuma’s rape accuser claiming that she likely enjoyed herself during the incident. Sonke’s Equality Court case […]
