Breaking with Tradition
According to the Girls Not Brides global campaign, Tanzania has one of the highest child marriage rates in the world, with 7% of girls being married before the age 15. In the Mara region, northern Tanzania, there is a 32% prevalence rate among women aged 15-49. FGM, child marriage, and teenage pregnancy are inextricably linked. […]
Trauma exposure and men’s use of violence against women in a peri-urban settlement near Johannesburg
Prevalence and patterns of men’s perpetration of intimate partner violence, gender attitudes and related factors in an informal settlement near Johannesburg
We investigated the prevalence, patterns of the use of intimate partner violence, gender attitudes and associated factors among a cohort of men enrolled in the Sonke CHANGE trial, in an informal settlement north of Johannesburg.
A Health & Safety Guide for Clients of Sex Workers
In South Africa, we do not know much about the clients of sex workers. We do know that there is no explicit health or social services for clients, and that very little accessible information on the sex industry exists. Because the buying and selling of sex is currently illegal in South Africa, everything in the […]
Why should we care about overcrowding in prisons?
Conditions of overcrowding in prisons, together with lack of ventilation, sanitation, oversight or healthcare have an effect on the broader society. We all bear the consequences.
5 steps to removing a gun from the home
One Judge One Jail Factsheet
The ‘One Judge, One Jail’ campaign aims to bring together the judiciary, the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) and civil society to strengthen prison oversight and to ensure the humane treatment of prisoners in South African correctional centres.
Time to Talk Poster
A brief guide for parents on what kids can understand, age by age.
Why should we care about prisoners?
We tend to think that what happens inside prisons won’t affect everyone on the outside, but that isn’t the case. Here is why.
Corporal Punishment is Against the Law
This pamphlet sets out the law and your rights, and what you can do if you or your child has been a victim of corporal punishment at school.
Instances of Severe Corporal Punishment Damage Claims
Why should we care about prison oversight?
In December 2016, Sonke and Lawyers for Human Rights launched a court application calling for the increased independence of South Africa’s prison oversight body, the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services. Prison oversight, that is the monitoring, inspecting, reporting on prisons, is vital for ensuring prisoners’ human rights. This fact sheet explains why we need an […]
CAT InfoSheet 002
Community Action Teams (CATs) are organised groups of activists from the same community (or neighbouring communities) who decide to tackle social issues that concern them. They are task-oriented teams that are committed to raising awareness and taking action on issues that affect them and their fellow community members, particularly in relation to challenging gender inequalities […]
CAT InfoSheet 001
Community Action Teams (CATs) are organised groups of activists from the same community (or neighbouring communities) who decide to tackle social issues that concern them. They are task-oriented teams that are committed to raising awareness and taking action on issues that affect them and their fellow community members, particularly in relation to challenging gender inequalities […]
Child marriage in Tanzania at a glance
Despite national and international legislation prohibiting it, child marriage has proved an intractable problem across many countries and cultures. Poverty and discrimination continue to drive the practice which blights the lives of so many young girls and inhibits the prosperity of their wider community and country. This is the largest study of child marriage – its […]
Child marriage in Tanzania – Youth-friendly version
Despite national and international legislation prohibiting it, child marriage has proved an intractable problem across many countries and cultures. Poverty and discrimination continue to drive the practice which blights the lives of so many young girls and inhibits the prosperity of their wider community and country. This is the youth-friendly version of the largest study […]
Prevention+
In a world where many countries have come to enshrine women’s rights and support for gender equality in policy and practice, gender-based violence (GBV), specifically violence against women and girls, still persists. This violence, whether at home or in public, is rooted in gender-based discrimination, inequitable gender norms, and imbalanced power dynamics. To end all […]
How to Support a Survivor of Sexual Assault
If a spouse, colleague, relative, friend or someone you know has experienced rape or a sexual offence, you may feel it’s easier to stay silent. You might be worried that you’re going to say the wrong thing. But there are ways that you can support a victim, both emotionally and practically. You can also take […]
Where are the men?
This poster presentation demonstrates the urgent need to engage men to transform harmful gender norms and to improve men’s HIV outcomes – for everyone’s sake. Urgent action is needed on two fronts – to challenge gender norms that encourage men to view health seeking behaviours as a sign of weakness; and to develop improved health system policies, […]
Can litigation be an effective tool in HIV prevention?
This question was posed by Sonke’s National Prison’s Specialist, Ariane Nevin at the 21st International AIDS Conference in Durban in a poster she presented on Sonke’s work on HIV an TB in prisons. Nevin asked how useful an advocacy tool public impact litigation is in addressing the structural drivers of HIV and TB in prisons […]
Sex Work: The Swedish Model
The Swedish model to regulate sex work was introduced in Sweden in 1999 and subsequently in Norway (2009), Iceland (2009) and Canada (2014). It does not criminalise the selling of sex but it does criminalise the buying of sex and other activities surrounding sex work, including running a brothel. Historically, there have not been many […]
Sex Work and the Law
There are several different legal views on sex work. They vary from country to country. This fact sheet discusses the four most common legal models and their effects.
Sex Work and Religion
Many people in South Africa are religious. According to data from the 2001 census, around 80% of South Africans call themselves Christians, with smaller numbers of Muslims, Hindus, Jews and people who follow African traditional religions. The link between sex work and religion is therefore important. This fact sheet argues that, although many people view […]
Sex Work and Policing
As a group, sex workers are at high risk of violence and other crimes. Like many other at-risk groups, they are over-policed but under-protected. This fact sheet describes present problems with the policing of sex work and sex workers. It then explains how the situation could improve if sex work was decriminalised.
