Social & Structural Drivers
The social and structural drivers portfolio tackles the root causes of inequality and violence, poverty, racism, xenophobia, harmful cultural and religious practices, and other social factors.
Traditional leaders, as with religious leaders, play a significant role in influencing cultural and social norms. Recognizing this, Sonke works closely with these leaders to address GBV and social norms from a faith perspective through workshops and various engagements. The United Nations Population Fund East and Southern African Regional Office has recognised Sonke as a key player in its work with faith communities, and consistently calls on Sonke’s expertise for capacity-building and training purposes.
Through the Austrian Development Agency’s ‘Linking Policy and Implementation for Gender Equality Project in Malawi, Zimbabwe and Namibia, we have strengthened the critical work with traditional and religious leaders, policymakers, media, and influence laws and policies in the continent.
To continue this work, we in the leadership of two global initiatives such as We Will Speak Out campaign and the Side by Side for Gender Justice campaign, to mobilize faith communities for gender justice.
