The second symposium on the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV) convened by the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) in partnership with Africa Legal Aid (AFLA) was held in Pretoria, South Africa, in August 2024. This engagement brought together over 140 stakeholders from Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Eswatini, South Africa, Botswana, and Lesotho. The Symposium ensured active participation from civil society, community-based organizations, government departments, and international bodies such as the United Nations and human rights defenders. The 2024 symposium was rooted in outcomes and conclusions from the 2023 symposium, key takeaways from the 2023 symposium were as follows
- Policy and Legislative Frameworks: Discussions focused on the existing legal frameworks and policies addressing GBV in South Africa, Botswana, and Lesotho, the countries with the world’s highest rape rates, as revealed in the afore mentioned 2023 study of the World Population Review.2 The symposium identified gaps and explored strategies to effectively enhance and enforce the frameworks.
- Community Engagement and Empowerment: Participants highlighted successful community-based initiatives and grassroots programmes that have effectively prevented and responded to GBV and explored ways to empower communities and individuals to take an active role in combating GBV.
- Intersectionality and Vulnerable Groups: The meeting addressed how GBV intersects with other forms of discrimination, focusing on marginalised groups, including LGBTQI+ individuals, persons with disabilities, refugees, and other vulnerable populations, and discussed tailored approaches to support them. The narrative report for 2023 can be found here.
The panels and discussions from the 2nd Southern Africa Symposium on Preventing Gender-based Violence (GBV) in Southern Africa covered country-specific situations highlighting the need for a multi-sectoral approach to GBV for specific panels and contributions see pictorial here. Some of the best practices included one-stop centres that respond to GBV victims and survivors and the 100 days challenge. This panel also discussed the intersection of climate change, conflict and gender inequality related to GBV. The second panel discussed the United Nations Collective Response to GBV with preventative strategies, particularly in schools and workplaces. Building on conversations around the inclusion of men in preventing GBV, this panel explored the crucial role men must play in breaking the cycle of violence, using examples from community-based organisations and Sonke Gender Justice. Day 2, discussions on Emerging and Innovative Approaches to GBV prevention included an emphasis on the need for evidence-based research and civil litigation for GBV survivors. Another panel presented on-the-ground successes with participants who were in the first symposium; they highlighted multi-stakeholder approaches to GBV and economic empowerment as a means of helping women escape cycles of violence.
Ending gender-based violence in Southern Africa requires more than reactive measures—it requires sustained, proactive strategies grounded in evidence and driven by collaboration. The symposium serves as a platform that calls on researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to work collectively in developing innovative solutions that address the root causes of violence, prioritize survivor safety and empowerment, and foster a region free of gender-based violence. The symposium’s call to action by 2024 participants urges stakeholders to move beyond discourse and invest in sustainable and collaborative research, interventions and policies that promote gender equality and is centred on a human rights approach.