Gender-Based Violence (GBV) remains a critical and pervasive challenge across Southern Africa, necessitating effective response mechanisms and comprehensive monitoring strategies. In response to this urgent issue, the Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) Southern Africa has conducted an extensive report to evaluate the response and monitoring mechanisms, approaches, and strategies of the African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and nine participating member countries.
The GBV report, carried out in Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe, involved surveying five districts or regions in seven of these countries, and four districts each in Madagascar and Swaziland. The report aimed to identify policy gaps, highlight the prevalence of GBV at various levels, and assess the allocation of resources to combat this issue.
Central to this report was the development of the GBV Scorecard, a data collection tool crafted with the participation of a GBV Task Team. This tool was designed to:
- Identify policy gaps and strategies.
- Draw attention to the GBV pandemic at all levels.
- Assess the level of resource allocation to GBV initiatives.
- Evaluate GBV response and monitoring mechanisms.
- Provide a regional overview and comparison of GBV policies and responses.
- Assess the commitment of global and African institutions to addressing GBV.
The GBV Scorecard was administered across several levels, including policy (AU, SADC, and national levels), implementation (local institutions), and various other entities such as traditional and religious institutions and civil society organizations. This comprehensive approach provided a clear picture of trends, commonalities, and key advocacy focus areas, shedding light on critical policy and implementation gaps.
This introductory article serves as a prelude to the detailed findings and recommendations of the RWA GBV report, which aims to enhance the effectiveness of GBV response and monitoring mechanisms across Southern Africa, ultimately contributing to a safer and more equitable environment for all.
