Sonke Gender Justice: Reviewing Achievement against Results

In 2017 Sonke Gender Justice sought to review and offer an account of its contribution, over the last ten years, towards reaching gender equality, reducing gender-based violence, and addressing HIV and AIDS in South Africa and at regional and global levels. In reflecting on its practice it has sought to understand both its successes and challenges as well as generate knowledge about the ways in which these changes are brought about so as to contribute to learning: both its own and the sector more widely.

To this end, various research activities were undertaken. This report offers an integrated account of the findings that emerged from five distinct research and evaluation methods:

• A meta-review of nearly one hundred documents written about Sonke’s work over the last ten years, mostly by external parties;
• A review of the findings included in a training report that was written as part of this process;
• In-depth perspectives from interviews with 24 key contributors from South Africa, the region and globally;
• A review of Sonke’s data on reach across its programmes; and
• Engagements with Sonke staff and leadership throughout this process in literative meaning-making, extending over several months.

Taken all together, this integrated review offers Sonke’s best response to the question it posed for itself about the impact of its work.