How To Support Community Members Affected by Gender Based Violence

South Africa has some of the highest rates of gender based violence occurrence in the world. To attain gender equality, it is necessary to work towards eradicating gender based violence. This includes ensuring that the state optimally performs its legal duties to protect its citizens from gender based violence and upholds survivors’ rights. Community activists or human rights defenders work directly with community members and therefore have the ability to change how community members think about gender inequality.

This guide aims to provide practical information on: how to assist community members with attaining justice for gender based violence with a view to empowering them with information and assisting them in demanding that their rights are upheld; and how to provide support and advice to survivors, their families and friends in a way that is sensitive to their experiences and feelings and is empowering.