Strengthening Research and Action on Gender-based Violence in Africa

Strengthening Research and Action on
Gender-based Violence in Africa

International Center for Research on Women
Gender-based Violence Prevention Network
South African Medical Research Council

David Snyder/ICRW
Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the Vanguard Charitable Finally we thank the following colleagues who contributed to
Endowment Program for its generous support of the the writing of this paper: Ellen Weiss, Stella Mukasa and Mary
three-year initiative, “Strengthening Research and Action Ellsberg of ICRW; Naeemah Abrahams and Shanaaz Mathews
on Gender-based Violence in Africa.” of the South African Medical Research Council; Lori Michau
and Jean Kemitare of the Gender-based Violence Prevention
We also greatly appreciate the collaboration of the individuals Network; and Margo Young, independent consultant.
and organizations that took part in this program. Specifically,
we acknowledge Amy Gregowski, Mary Ellsberg, Shana
Pereira and Ellen Weiss of the International Center for
Research on Women (ICRW); Naeemah Abrahams and
Shanaaz Mathews of the South African Medical Research
Council; Lori Michau and Jean Kemitare of the Gender-based
Violence Prevention Network; Yemane Berhane and Ewenat
Geberehanna of Addis Continental Institute of Public Health
(ACIPH); Regina Bafaki and Paska Fortunate of Action for
Development (ACFODE); Saad Baluku Muthegheki and Kule
Sausi Crispus of Center for Human Rights Advancement
(CEHURA); Wanjiru Mukoma of Liverpool VCT Care and
Treatment; Jessie Mbwambo of Muhimbili University of
Health and Allied Sciences MUHAS); Fairouz Nagia-Luddy
of Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and
Neglect (RAPCAN); Sarah Nyiramutangwa, Odeth Kantengwa
and Annette Mukiga of Rwandan Women’s Network (RWN);
Anna Kulaya and Yassin Ally of Women in Law and
Development in Africa (WiLDAF); Samuel Likindikoki of
TWIFUNDE Centre for Learning; and MacBain Mkandawire and
Michael Gondwe of Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO).

© 2012 International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
Portions of this report may be reproduced without express permission of
but with acknowledgment to ICRW, MRC and the GBV Prevention Network.
Photos are used for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any particular
experience, health status, attitude, behavior or action on the part of the
people appearing in the photos.

Front and back cover photos: David Snyder/ICRW Design: Barbieri & Green

2 Strengthening Research and Action on Gender-based Violence in Africa

Part 1: Introduction

Gender-based violence (GBV) and especially violence against In response, the International Center for Research on Women
women has gained international recognition as a grave social (ICRW), the GBV Prevention Network, and MRC developed a
and human rights concern affecting virtually all societies. program to further strengthen local GBV research capacity
Progress in addressing GBV can be attributed in large part to among community-based organizations in the Horn, East,
groundbreaking studies, such as the World Health Organiza- and Southern Africa. The three-year program paired local
tion (WHO) Multi-Country Study on Domestic Violence and community organizations working to combat violence against
Women’s Health,1 which provide evidence needed to advocate women and girls with leading research institutions in the
for strong laws and policies and to develop locally relevant region. The local activists and practitioners were trained to
programs. Despite the key role of research in developing GBV carry out action-oriented, qualitative research and to share
prevention policies and programs, research capacity to this findings with policy makers and the GBV community at large.
end is lagging in many parts of the world.
This report presents the findings and insights gained from
To address this gap, several regional initiatives have taken the program. Part 2 describes the program’s process for
on the challenge of strengthening local capacity, particularly selecting and training the participants. Part 3 presents
among activist organizations, to carry out research on the key findings and recommendations from the research
violence against women. The international organizations conducted by the participating organizations. Part 4 discusses
PATH and WHO produced a manual based on the experience the program’s achievements and lessons that emerged
of the multi-country study entitled Researching Violence from the initiative.
against Women: A Practical Guide for Researchers and
Activists. Subsequently, PATH, together with South African Overall, our experience shows that partnering violence
Medical Research Council (MRC), developed a two-week prevention organizations with research institutions has
training course for researchers, activists, practitioners and strengthened the formers’ skills to carry out relevant,
policymakers. The course has been offered four times in action research and has helped direct information on
Africa and twice in Latin America and is carried out in violence against women into the hands of those who are
partnership with local universities and regional activist best positioned to use it, namely social movements and
networks, such as the GBV Prevention Network in Africa. program implementers. Yet the process is time intensive
More than 120 representatives from over 60 organizations and care must be taken in clarifying roles and expectations
have been trained to date. and managing communication among partners. Further
investment is needed to support the current group of NGOs
The course has been very well received, and many partners in honing their research skills through refresher trainings
reported that the training has increased their motivation and and to foster partnerships and mentoring between other
capacity to carry out monitoring and evaluation activities. researchers and activists in the region. This will create a
Still, participants highlighted the need for a more integrated stronger and more diverse base of skilled researchers and
training effort that includes practical experience in conducting practitioners to catalyze action needed to combat violence
research combined with ongoing support during all phases against women.
of the research process, from protocol design to results
dissemination. Moreover, members of the GBV Prevention
Network at a 2006 regional meeting identified strengthening
the research capacity of activist nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs) in Africa as a key priority for the network.

See http://www.who.int/gender/violence/who_multicountry_study/en/
1

Strengthening Research and Action on Gender-based Violence in Africa 3

WiLDAF
Table 1: Participating Organizations

Organization and Mission Study Title Mentor
Location Institution(s)

Action for Development To promote women’s empowerment, gender Exploring Access to Liverpool VCT Care and
(ACFODE), Kampala, Uganda equality and equity through advocacy, networking Justice through Traditional Treatment, Kenya
and capacity building of both women and men. Mechanisms and the
www.acfode.org Formal Justice System for
Women who Experience
Violence

Center for Human Rights To strengthen the capacity of communities and An Exploratory Study of South African Medical
Advancement (CEHURA), other stake holders in human rights issues Bride Price and Domestic Research Council
Bundibugyo, Uganda through information sharing, training, lobbying, Violence in Bundibugyo
advocacy and legal service support to both District, Uganda
cehura_ug@yahoo.com rural and urban people.

Resources Aimed at the To ensure that the rights of children are realized Service Responses to South African Medical
Prevention of Child Abuse by working within a preventive framework the Co-victimization of Research Council
and Neglect (RAPCAN), toward the protection of children. Mother and Child: Missed
Capetown, South Africa To build effective prevention and responsive Opportunities in the
measures relating to child victimization and Prevention of Domestic
www.rapcan.org.za/home offending through direct service delivery, Violence
capacity building, resource development and
dissemination, and advocacy.

Rwanda Women’s Network To work toward improvement of the socio- Exploring Community South African Medical
(RWN), Kigali, Rwanda economic welfare of women in Rwanda through Perceptions and Women’s Research Council
enhancing their efforts to meet their basic needs. Experiences of Violence
http://rwandawomennetwork.org against Women and Use
of Services in Bugesera
District, Eastern Province,
Rwanda

Women in Law and Develop- To equip women with the necessary knowledge From Campaign to Action: TWIFUNDE Centre for
ment in Africa (WiILDAF), and skills to make them equal competitors, The 16 Days of Activism Gender and Development
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania active participants and change agents. Campaign in the Training and Muhimbili
Prevention of University of Health and
www.wildaftanzania.org Gender-based Violence Allied Sciences (MUHAS),
Tanzania

Youth Net and Counselling To empower the youth, women, and children, Understanding Addis Continental Institute
(YONECO), Zomba, Malawi combat the spread of HIV infection, mitigate the Community Perspectives of Public Health (ACIPH),
impact of AIDS, and promote democracy and of Child Sexual Abuse Ethiopia
http://yoneco.org/ human rights for socio-economic development. in Malawi


Part 2: Process and Participants

The program sent out a request for concept papers for GBV- rights, and advocacy campaigns. What they all shared was a
related research via the GBV Prevention Network website desire to improve their capacity to engage in research and to
and listserves of member organizations. Organizations that use evidence to strengthen their programs and advocacy.
participated in the PATH/MRC two-week training course
were invited to apply, although all members of the GBV Members of the selected community organizations and their
Prevention Network were eligible to submit concept papers. mentors participated in three research training workshops
The program’s steering committee2 chose six studies to be that were held over the course of three years. The
funded and implemented from more than 30 submissions. workshops took place in Uganda and South Africa, and each
The studies were selected according to pre-determined one emphasized a particular component of the research
criteria, including relevance of the subject, institutional process (study design, data analysis and presentation of
capacity and commitment and a plan for dissemination and research findings). The last workshop, held in Cape Town,
use of the study results, among others. Each implementation South Africa in December 2011, provided the organizations
partner was matched with a research institution in the region, the opportunity to present their findings at an international
depending on the particular skills needed and research topic. forum, namely the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI).
The research institutions provided technical assistance and
oversight, mentoring, and any additional training needed to
implement the research.

Table 1 (left) lists key information about each of the six
activist organizations and its study. The organizations are
diverse in terms of size, mission, and capacity, focusing on
issues ranging from child sexual abuse to bride price, legal

Part 3: Study Findings

The six studies address a range of critical topics, including The following pages present the key findings from each
violence survivors’ access to justice, the delivery and utilization of the six studies and the recommendations that emerged
of services by violence survivors, the relationship between from the research. To access the full reports visit the
bride price and domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and the organizations’ website or contact them directly.
outcomes of the 16 Days Campaign to Prevent Gender-based
Violence. This information greatly enhances the evidence base
that activists and programmers can draw on for the purposes
of advocacy and program development.

2
The steering committee comprised representatives from ICRW, GBV Prevention Network, South African Medical Research
Council, Liverpool VCT Care and Treatment, Addis Continental Institute of Public Health and Muhimbili University.


Exploring Access to Justice through Traditional Mechanisms and
the Formal Justice System for Women who Experience Violence
Action for Development (ACFODE)
Key Findings
Violence against women (VAW) is a serious problem in
Uganda: nearly 60 percent of women there report having Overall, the traditional justice system is respected,
been subject to physical or sexual violence by an intimate accessible and emphasizes mediation for addressing
partner. While several studies have examined the prevalence, violence. However, the system may be biased against
causes, effects and forms of violence, little is known about women survivors.
how survivors pursue justice and whether their needs
are served. Within the traditional justice system, the tendency in VAW
cases is to give the survivor and perpetrator an opportunity
To address this knowledge gap, ACFODE conducted a to be heard, to consider their mistakes and to reconcile. This
qualitative study between August 2010 and August 2011 system emphasizes mediation and reconciliation, even when
to explore women’s access to justice through traditional a survivor’s life may be at risk.
mechanisms and the formal justice system. A total of 61
individual interviews were conducted with police officers, Clan leaders:
magistrates, local council leaders, health personnel, clan Clan leaders are social cultural leaders who are united by
leaders, religious leaders and aunts. In addition, eight focus actual or perceived kinship. They make decisions, settle
group discussions were conducted: three with male disputes and help the people they lead to have a sense of
community members, three with female community belonging and ownership. Study participants agree that they
members and two with female survivors of violence. are highly respected members of the community who are
The study took place in two sub counties in two districts rarely corrupt and generally transparent. However, when
in western and northern Uganda. questioned, some women complained of bias when
adjudicating a case. One 43-year-old survivor recounts:
Two Systems of Justice
“Sometimes the services are not good especially if it’s the clan
There are two systems of justice used by women who leaders who have resolved the case. Clan elders are biased;
experience violence: traditional justice mechanisms and the they always support their son. Judgments are in favor of the
formal justice system. Traditional justice mechanisms are man not the woman; they cover up for the man and then the
governed by traditional law. Rather than following formal woman ends up leaving for her parent’s home if she is lucky, if
statutes, traditional mechanisms operate on the principle not she is forced to go back to the abusive relationship.”
of “natural justice” and do not systematically follow set
procedures. Though not formally recognized by the country’s Another woman points out a clear conflict of interest that
legal system, the decision makers in the traditional system— worked against her case:
such as clan leaders, religious leaders, parents and paternal
aunts—are highly respected. “I went once to the clan elders to report my case but when
I realized that what they said was of no help to me, I gave
The formal justice system includes all mechanisms for redress up and never sought help from anywhere else. They were
that have been established under Ugandan law. This system supporting my husband because he’s their son.”
has established procedures for adjudication and appeal.


Heidi Brady/Raising Voices 2012

Religious leaders: Paternal aunts:
The religious leaders were not referred to as often as a justice Paternal aunts are highly respected in Uganda. Like religious
mechanism used by women as the clan leaders, aunts and leaders and parents, they promote reconciliation and advise
parents. Many women note that religious leaders tend to the couples, but lack a formal set of procedures. And as with
promote reconciliation regardless of the danger this poses to the other arbitrators, aunts lack power to enforce punishment
women in violent relationships. of the culprits. In fact, offenders often repeat the violent
attacks on their wives even in the presence of the arbitrator,
Parents: as happened with this 65-year-old aunt:
Parents are easily accessible, friendly and free. The parents
are among the most widely used traditional mechanisms of “Some husbands refuse to be talked to and become even
justice for the survivors of violence. Sometimes parents are more violent to their wives in the process. I am an old woman
strong advocates for their daughters, as was the case for one so some men disrespect me. They even beat their wives in my
24-year-old respondent: presence while trying to reconcile them or on their way home
after talking to them. Yet I am weak and I cannot stop them.”
“My husband was arrested…by the police in Lira Central
Police Station; my parents are the ones who made the follow The formal justice system offers redress in
up that led to his arrest.” cases of violence but women face many barriers
in accessing justice.
However, as with others managing VAW cases in the traditional
justice system, parents lack power to enforce sanctions. Judiciary:
Therefore violence can continue without consequence, as Respondents rarely mention the judicial courts (such as the
illustrated by this 42-year-old survivor: Magistrate’s courts, High court, Court of Appeal, Supreme
Court and the Human Rights Commission) as mechanisms to
“Sometimes my father would call other relatives to settle our access justice by women survivors. Cost is one reason. The
case and my husband would be fined goats and gourds of formal legal system comes with a number of expenses that
beer but he would beat me again before reaching home. makes this option impractical or totally inaccessible for most
My father-in-law would also try to settle our cases but in women in this study. A person taking a case to court must
vain. My husband would never respect anybody. I eventually cover his/her own transport costs as well as the costs for the
decided to leave him when I realized I was going to die. transport and accommodation of witnesses and the medical
He married another woman who died but I suspect it was examination. The costs of litigation (including procuring
the beatings that killed her.” the services of a lawyer) or filing a complaint are also
unaffordable. One judge expresses frustration with the
Parents’ willingness to help is sometimes constrained by their system’s built-in bias against poor women:
fear that they will be forced to refund bride price. In these
cases parents typically push their daughter to reconcile with “…women who cannot afford the services of a lawyer are
the perpetrator even if she is in danger. Many women also usually intimidated and challenged by the husband’s lawyer.
find that in-laws are of limited help, as they generally side Sometimes we really feel bad when we see a woman losing
with their son. the case just because she has failed to ask or cross examine
the lawyer, or has not brought out clearly some facts, but we
cannot do much since we are supposed to be neutral.”


David Snyder/ICRW
Dave Snyder

Another barrier is legal complexity. The language used in courts Conclusions and Recommendations
is complicated and intimidating, thus discouraging survivors
from choosing this route of justice. The procedures involved are Overall, traditional mechanisms are more accessible to women
cumbersome and cannot often be understood by poor women with respect to distance, expense, and approachability.
who lack legal representation. Women’s knowledge about the However, the lack of standard protocol for handling violence
law and procedures is also limited, further inhibiting their ability cases, coupled with the absence of accountability for the
to seek justice through the formal system. guilty party, renders this form of justice less than satisfactory
for women. Indeed, some women say they sought the services
Local Council Courts (LCCs):
of the formal justice system because they feel the traditional
Most respondents report that LCCs are the first reporting
system is biased in favor of men. Yet at the same time, the
places by survivors of violence. The LCCs are nearer to the
findings reveal that survivors of violence are both frustrated
poor and their court procedures are relatively informal. The
with and lack confidence in the formal mechanisms, describing
identified strengths of the LCCs are that they are close to the
obstacles ranging from expense, to convoluted procedures
people, they use local languages and they listen to all cases.
and lengthy delays in pursuing a case, to an overall lack
However, the fees associated with taking a case to court (in
of “user-friendliness.” These and other factors discourage
addition to transportation expenses) are still unaffordable for
women from pursuing justice through formal channels.
poor women, who therefore simply “do not report the cases
For those who make the initial attempt, many eventually
to LCC,” in the words of a male respondent.
drop their cases.
Police:
To address these challenges, the following actions are
Most participants complain about the partiality of the police
recommended:
while handling cases of violence reported by women and note
that they will favor whoever pays more money in the form of a
• mprove staffing and facilitation within the formal
I
bribe. Also discouraging is the long distance to police stations
justice system.
for many women, requiring funds for transport that in most
• reate an arbitration mechanism within the judiciary
C
cases they do not have.
and the police to enable parties to settle their complaints
The police themselves report challenges in handling VAW out of court.
cases due to inadequate government support for their • dvocate against the refund of bride price in case the
A
services. All the police officers interviewed point to low levels survivor seeks separation from the offender.
of resources and motivation. As one police officer notes: • ducate women and the community about domestic
E
violence laws (including the Domestic Violence Act),
“I need an assistant…or even two of them…. We need a court procedures and women’s rights in accessing justice.
motorcycle to help us reach out and arrest criminals in time. • stablish legal aid clinics and shelters for survivors.
E
We are supposed to detain suspects for 48 hours only but we • dvocate for the inclusion of women in clan leadership
A
fail to produce them in court due to lack of transport facilities. to enable them to participate in decision making within
I am not able to gather witnesses….” the clan system.
• dvocate for the establishment of one stop centers for
A
Finally, survivors often fear retaliation from the perpetrators and survivors of violence.
their relatives if they report their spouse to the police. According
to one woman, “If you report to police the relatives will harass
you and the husband will chase you out of the home.” The fear
of such an outcome often leads women to drop the case.


An Exploratory Study of Bride Price and Domestic Violence
in Bundibugyo District, Uganda
Center for Human Rights Advancement (CEHURA)

Bride price is a common cultural practice in many African Key Findings
countries. Typically, bride price consists of a contract where
material items (often cattle or other animals) or money are Bride price is a deeply embedded cultural practice
paid by the groom to the bride’s family in exchange for the in the study sites, yet support for the practice among
bride, her labor and her capacity to produce children. young people may be waning.
While the practice is widely accepted and serves the purpose
of validating customary marriages, a number of negative Many participants note that bride price is considered a
ramifications are associated with bride price, including “necessary” practice. A senior government official says that
violence against women. “it is culturally wrong to take someone’s daughter without
paying bride price.” For marriages to be solemnized and
CEHURA conducted a qualitative study to explore bride price recognized a bride price has to be paid first. Yet many of the
practice and its links to conflict and domestic violence in three young participants do not agree on the bride price culture
communities in Bundibugyo district in Western Uganda. and say, “Today things are changing.”
The study’s aim was to inform the development of
community-based interventions to mitigate the negative Establishing bride price is a bargaining process in which
impacts of bride price. Using focus group discussions and young women have little or no involvement.
individual in-depth interviews, the researchers collected data
from men, women, community and clan leaders and service Terms such as “negotiation and agreement” between the
providers on community perceptions and views of the custom, two sets of relatives is most often used to explain the process.
and its relationship with domestic violence. More than 200 A young woman says:
people participated in the study. Feedback dialogues were
held at the CEHURA office with key stakeholders to discuss “My parents (and relatives) asked for 2.5 million shillings
the research findings and develop strategies for action. [US$270] and 12 goats. My in-laws said it was too much
for them to afford. They bargained and both agreed they
would pay 1.8 million shillings and six goats.”

It is also evident that young women are not involved in the
negotiations process. Although many say that the agreement
can only be concluded if she agrees on the acceptance of
the husband, she does not have any involvement in the
acceptance of the bride price.

Many factors appear to affect the decisions made during
negotiations. The education and the “background” of the
girl are deciding factors, where “background” refers to the
financial status of the girl’s family in the community.


Many women value the practice of bride price while Inability to pay bride price causes loss of respect
others view it as exploiting women. for both men and women.

Women use such words as “respect,” “security” and “stability” Loss of respect is a common consequence of the inability
in association with the practice. For some of the young women to pay bride price. A man is reported to lose respect if he
interviewed bride price is linked to the wife’s status and her is not able to pay and a man may also disrespect the girl’s
relationship to the husband’s family. A recently married woman parents if they make huge economic demands. Disrespect for
says, “Women accept it very much because if you are not paid the women in a marriage where bride price is not paid also
you are looked at as a house girl to that family.” occurs because such women are considered to be living “in
prostitution.” Similarly the husband is not considered a part
On the other hand, some informants feel that the payment of the family or a son-in-law. Young men also speak about
of bride price exploits women. According to a clan leader, “It feeling humiliated when not able to pay bride price. Men’s
enslaves the woman … disrespects her because the woman manhood is questioned, even by their wives, if they are not
was bought through bride price.” A religious leader believes able to pay. A young man says his wife used his non-payment
that bride price is a human rights offense: to humiliate him when she asked, “What have you paid for
me, are you a man?”
“It is not right to put human beings on the commercial
market, bargain for them and when one is fed up, dump Nonpayment of bride price, heavy debt from paying
them leaving the woman psychologically tortured. Women bride price and the perception of women as property
lose their dignity, have to do endless hard labor—and then contribute to marital conflict.
failure to produce children becomes a big crime once you
have been paid for.” Continuous conflict, which can turn violent, between the man
and his wife due to his non-payment of bride price can lead
Bride price places an economic burden on men to divorce. Women are said to be feel “unstable” in their
and couples. relationships if bride price has not been paid. A clan leader
says bride price “leads to frequent divorces… which lead to
Many refer to the commercialization of the bride price unstable families.”
process and that low income men are particularly affected
by the rising costs. Young men talk about how bride price Starting a marriage in heavy debt also leads to conflict
affects them financially: “We suffer so much because we between the man and the woman, which can precipitate
pay a lot of money.” Another calls it “financial mistreatment.” violence. Additionally the perception that a man has been
A government official comments: “overcharged” could lead to numerous conflicts with his
wife. A perception of being overcharged also creates conflict
“It has resulted in poverty since it is costly and sometimes between the bride and her in-laws. A participant says, “The
boys are left with nothing after the payment of bride price, family side of the man eventually hates the woman because
and therefore suffer after marriage because all the money of overcharging of the bride price.” Disrespect thus emerges
that would be used to feed the family was used to marry.” on both sides with the woman’s family disrespecting the man
if the price is not paid and the man’s family disrespecting the
wife and her family if the price is considered too high.


Men’s sense of ownership of women from paying bride price Conclusions
also seeds conflict. A young woman says that bride price:
The findings show that bride price is a widely accepted
“…wipes off the freedom of women and gives the man room practice that brings families together and cements
to decide on what he wants to do with his life like cheating relationships. But the intersection among bride price,
on the woman since they think that women are mere property economic and social factors, and conflict which can lead
bought off in the markets and if you complain the man will to domestic violence is a recurring theme. Although bride
beat you seriously.” price is not the only factor that fuels violence against women,
many participants recognize it as a contributing factor.
Most participants support improving the institution Additionally, many complain about the changes to the practice
of bride price rather than abolishing it. which are linked to economic issues. Widespread recognition
that bride price could result in or exacerbate marital conflict,
Clan leaders offer many suggestions on how to improve exploitation of women, and increasing economic burden
the “institution” of bride price. Most do not support abolishing on men provides an opportunity for organizations such as
the practice because women may lose respect. CEHURA to engage in education, awareness-raising, and
One religious leader suggests that the term “bride price” community level discussion and advocacy on the issue.
should be replaced with the term “dowry” because the former
term is demeaning to women. It is recommended that there
should be constant sensitization about why bride price is
necessary and the important role that religious leaders could
play in communicating this message. Others suggest that
there should be mutual understanding between the parties
during the bargaining process.

Clan leaders suggest that going back to the original price
and improving relationships between parents and children
is important. Another frequent suggestion is that bride price
must be reduced to a more affordable level. Almost all the
leaders mention educating communities about the traditional
meaning of bride price. As one leader explains, “Communities
should be sensitized on the value of bride price according to
the culture—what it was meant for—otherwise it has since
lost meaning.”


Agrodealerships in Western Kenya: How Promising for Agricultural Development and Women Farmers?

Service Responses to the Co-victimization of Mother and Child:
Missed Opportunities in the Prevention of Domestic Violence
Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (RAPCAN)

Domestic violence is major problem in South Africa. Evidence “One thing that we notice is that where a woman or a man
shows that when children are exposed to violence they learn was brought up in a violent home...sometimes it does happen
that it is normal and that conflicts are resolved through the that a woman tends to seek out a man that also abuses. And
use of violence. To prevent the intergenerational transmission it seems to be a pattern… where you just keep on jumping
of violence it is important that both services and prevention into situations or relationships where there is violence.”
programs understand the pathways to violence perpetration
and victimization. Coordination between service providers Study participants also note that adults often perceive
who assist in cases of child abuse and domestic violence is violence as normal as a result of their own experiences
also important. growing up. Additionally, participants identify some
disciplinary practices as perpetuating the cycle of violence.
This study explores whether services address the
co-victimization of mothers and children in abusive Service providers often fail to take into account the
households in rural, peri-urban and urban settings in two gendered power imbalances women face and the role of
South African provinces. Three focus group sessions were these imbalances in fostering violent relationships.
held with members of community-based organizations to
learn about the quality, availability and accessibility of Only a few service providers show an understanding of
services. A separate focus group was held with state actors the realities of patriarchy and gender inequalities. Most
from social services, education, justice and the police. In blame women for their abuse or for remaining in abusive
addition, 21 individuals representing government, traditional relationships. Some also say that women find themselves in
leadership and civil society were interviewed about their views difficult situations because they are “easy.” Such views
and experiences around domestic violence. The South African may limit approaches to addressing abuse, and may leave
Medical Research Council provided ethical approval for the the actual underlying causes of gender-related violence
study, which was conducted from May-October 2009. unaddressed. These views also suggest a bias that relieves
males of any responsibility in relationships. This is especially
Key Findings true in the context of parenting skills programs. Participants
speak about the female rather than the male parent,
Domestic violence is often perceived as “normal,” suggesting that the target for these interventions should
contributing to the intergenerational transmission only be the female caregiver. Yet, both parents in abusive
of violence. relationships may engage in violent disciplining of their
children but for varying reasons. Men may be violent as an
Study participants recognize that exposure to domestic extension of their exercise of power and control over their
violence in childhood is linked to domestic violence in children and partner. When mothers are subject to severe
adulthood, either as a victim or a perpetrator. A civil physical, or emotional and mental abuse, they often use
society individual and government representative, harsh physical and verbally abusive forms of discipline
respectively, explain: toward their own children. A civil society member explains
how a mother’s accumulated stress can have an adverse
“[Abuse histories are]...very prevalent. A lot of the women impact on her children:
that come here witnessed their mothers being abused when
they were children, or were abused themselves as children.” “To be fair to the mothers, a lot of them don’t have the emo-
tional energy to really deal with their children as they should.”


David Snyder/ICRW

The complex relationship between an abused mother and the There are not adequate services for the co-victims of
abused and neglected child can lead to fallacious perceptions domestic violence.
of “problem children” or “abusive mothers.” Thus service
providers need to understand the complexities involved in Across the different sites, participants note the lack of
such relationships, where abusive caregivers often have adequate and high quality domestic violence services,
problems coping with need, dependence, and vulnerability particularly for children. For example, there are no shelters
in themselves and others. in the rural study area, and the closest facility is three hours
away by car. While there are more facilities in the urban area
Another area where gender power dynamics play a role is in (including a one-stop center for domestic violence survivors
family group conferencing (FGC). FGC is a process in which and shelters), these often struggle to meet the demand for
civil society or state service providers engage family members services by older children. Participants identify only one
in resolving family conflicts, including domestic violence. shelter for abused women in the peri-urban site. However,
A civil society member explains: most women do not know where it is. Women in need thus
end up at night shelters for homeless people, but these do
“When we do the family group conferencing, all the not accommodate children. In addition, some shelters do not
family members are there...so we just allow the environment take in women who do not have a protection order or who
where each and every person is able to express their feelings do not show physical signs of abuse. This can actually lead
freely...even if the father keeps staring at the mother as to further victimization of women, as this civil society
she speaks.” member explains:

Though addressing domestic violence as a “family matter” “Many female victims are abused at the shelter because they
responds to the strong cultural and communal bonds within are identified as easy targets. I will hear that the woman say
South African communities, FGC can be detrimental if service that [other shelter tenants] always think that we [the women]
providers lack an understanding or ignore the patriarchal are bad women because we will just sleep with any man.”
power dynamic in households and the subordination of
victims. Participants clearly state that FGC is an inappropriate In the peri-urban area, participants state that there are no
measure in cases of child abuse, and due to similar specific interventions for child survivors of domestic violence.
dynamics, it falls short in cases of domestic violence. The shelter for street children does not work directly with
victims of domestic violence, but, as this civil society member
explains, domestic violence plays a large part in the lives of
its users:

“…when the children tell these stories, those [referring
to domestic violence] are the reasons why they have left
their homes.”


David Snyder/ICRW
Similarly, in the urban site, participants cite the lack of Conclusions and Recommendations
counseling for children who are co-victims of domestic abuse.
One civil society member observes: From a service provider perspective, the study supports the
positive relationship between exposure to domestic violence
“... I can say it right now this has been one of the big gaps in childhood and later victimization and/or perpetration.
—counseling services for children. We have looked—there It also highlights that service providers lack a gendered
really does not seem to be organizations that are offering that understanding of domestic violence, which tends to
kind of a service unless they are connected to a university like undermine the quality and effectiveness of services for
the Childline clinic or the Red Cross child and Family Clinic, women survivors. Moreover, specialized psycho-social
and they have huge waiting lists.” services for survivors of domestic violence, particularly
children, are limited. These gaps call attention to the need
Bottlenecks in counseling services are attributed to to strengthen systems and sectoral collaboration in
difficulties in accessing funding, as well as challenges in assessing and addressing domestic violence that impacts
recruiting skilled service providers. In some instances, women and children. The following recommendations
organizations get around the challenges, such as by using emerge from the study:
psychology and social work students. But as a civil society
member points out, these responses still do not fully address Invest in multisectoral anti-violence programs and
child victimization: policies for the long term:
A greater focus on addressing abuse-related trauma in
“Ideally just as every woman who comes into the shelter has children is also important for breaking the intergenerational
an assessment from the social worker, sees the social worker cycle of violence.
once a week for counseling, and has a support group, every
child who comes with their mom ought to be assessed with Promote attitudinal shifts:
our childcare worker...” Help individuals think through alternatives to violence and
create informal and formal systems of accountability and
A focus group of government representatives reveals support.
frustration with their limitations as well:
Reform systems:
“We are inundated with a lot of these cases. We are one Train actors in the health, legal/justice, security, education
social worker per 18 schools…. We are all doing crisis and social development sectors to prevent, detect, monitor
management. So if there is someone here we see them, they and address violence, particularly around early intervention.
leave the door, there is someone else waiting. There is no
follow-up, and no proper service to begin with.” Implement anti-violence policies and programs from
a gender perspective:
This should take into account the different risks facing girls
and boys and should emphasize the empowerment and
capacity building of both girls and boys.

Implement positive parenting training at the school level:
Such training should promote the involvement of men and
women in caregiving.


Exploring Community Perceptions and Women’s Experiences of Violence against
Women and Use of Services in Bugesera District, Eastern Province, Rwanda
Rwanda Women’s Network (RWN)

Since 1994, most studies on gender-based violence (GBV) Women’s limited access to, ownership and control of land
in Rwanda have been in the context of sexual violence that play a role in their experience of violence. This most often
occurred during and after the genocide. While important, occurs when women attempt to claim their Umunani—share
there is also the need to better understand and address of property from parents to children upon reaching adulthood.
intimate partner violence (IPV), which numerous studies A 62-year-old disabled woman believes that her loss of land
suggest is a pervasive feature in the lives of Rwandan women. created problems in her marriage. She says:

This study sought to generate information about sources of “After hearing that I am denied land from my family, my
support for women who experience IPV and the extent to husband became angry and started telling me that he will
which they use these services. This information will help not continue to provide for me, that even my family has
RWN and other service providers expand and strengthen abandoned me. Life started to become difficult for me.”
their strategies to prevent and respond to violence against
women. This qualitative study was conducted in the District Though study participants cite many sources of
of Bugesera, an area severely affected by the 1994 genocide. support for victims of violence, the utility of these
Semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group support systems is inconsistent.
discussions were conducted with women IPV survivors,
community members and service providers (police, health, All participants in the study agree that local leaders in the
community leaders, local authorities, GBV committees, NGOs villages, police, hospitals and local service providers
and mediators). The study followed established ethical contribute to assisting women violence survivors. Services
procedures for doing research on violence against women. include provision of information, training, legal and financial
aid and individual, family and group counseling. Women,
Key Findings community members and service providers also cite
informal support structures, such as families and neighbors
Women are experiencing the full spectrum of IPV. (particularly older married women), who offer assistance
ranging from advice and emotional support to first aid for
Women survivors report having experienced physical, sexual, injuries to offers of temporary shelter.
psychological and economic violence. Many survivors have
been beaten. All the women interviewed have experienced As a health center representative explains:
sexual violence and service providers corroborate these
reports, saying it is a common occurrence. Psychological “To me, I feel the first person to intervene is the neighbor
violence is frequent and often intertwined with infidelity, because he/she is the one whom you will call at night and
abandonment and economic abuse. A 28-year-old woman he comes, he is the one who knows you, the one [with] whom
with two children summarizes her experience saying that the you share everything and also they are the ones who can
violence entailed her husband “cheating on me, beating me provide firsthand information on what happened.”
and also staying out of the home for some time.” Another
says, “He refuses to provide food for the family and spends
much time drinking and comes back home late and ends
up beating me.” All of the violence reported by the women
survivors occurred within the context of marriage.


9

One woman explains how her neighbors rallied to support her say, ‘how long do we have to go on assisting her?’” Another
in the face of abuse: woman notes, “The local leaders also became tired of our
conflicts and asked me whether I could take the children to
“I used to seek advice from some of the women who were my parents and find other ways of surviving.”
my neighbors and they would comfort me telling me that it‘s
life and later they gave me some start-up capital and I started Financial, cultural and logistical factors inhibit women
selling some food stuffs in the market.” from seeking assistance.

However, the ability to help women is ultimately limited Economic dependence on their husbands appears to be
due to a number of factors, including enforcement. Advice one of the main reasons women endure violence. For most
and proposed resolutions to conflicts from well intended women, the lost income that results if their husbands are in
neighbors and local leaders are limited in effectiveness jail is too high a cost for a cessation of abuse. A 30-year-old
because in reality, no one can enforce the husband’s woman reports that even though her husband treats her very
promises and commitments. In fact, mediation efforts can badly, she is reluctant to report him because she believes this
backfire, as in this one woman’s case: would only make her life worse, as she depends on him to
support her and her children. She simply explains, “I do not
“He pretends to have heard what they [neighbors] advised know how we can survive without him.”
him and [says he is] ready to change but as soon as they
leave, he would then do worse.” Financial constraints also limit women’s ability to seek
medical assistance. Although most people have access to
Also, while most participants cite family as the first source to health insurance, abused women may find it difficult to make
turn to for help in cases of abuse, this option is generally of contributions to the system. Payment is then expected for all
little use for women, who are often told to bear the violence. health care services. A woman whose arm was broken by her
One woman says that her mother-in-law “consoled” her by husband explains “At the hospital I was charged for the check
telling her that “all married people experience this.” Some up. You can imagine in that situation I didn’t have money.”
women do not even have the support of family, having lost
immediate and extended family members to the genocide. Pursuit of justice through the legal system also is cost
prohibitive for many women, as women putting forward a
Local leaders admit to not being able to help all women, legal claim are held responsible for legal fees that are only
and some of the women corroborate this. One woman reimbursed if she wins the case—a risk that most women
recounts that: literally cannot afford to take.

“They [local leaders] would call him and advise him and he The Rwandan culture of keeping family affairs private is
pleaded that he will never do it again. But still no change another key barrier to reporting abuse. As one woman
and after their departure, he could …tell me to continue explains, “It’s not good to reveal your private affairs to
reporting… and that even the police don’t keep prisoners anyone.” Another comments that “he will complain that
forever, they take them and later free them.” you exposed him [and will ask] ‘what kind of wife are you
who exposes home secrets?’” Many women report not
Both informal and formal support networks eventually show wanting their husbands to go to jail because this is
signs of strain with neighbors and local leaders alike often effectively a public declaration of their private affairs.
growing weary of giving assistance. As one woman explains As a service provider explains: “They fear what other people
about the food and shelter she received, “[People] used to will say when they hear that she reported her husband….


So in most cases even neighbors and families tend to private and supply barriers limiting access to health services
discourage women [from speaking out].” create barriers for women. Further, instances of corruption of
police and local authorities, the difficulty of enforcement, and
From a logistical perspective, service providers mention a the long and expensive process of gaining access to justice
number of obstacles that prohibit women from seeking and/or are important obstacles to women’s access to justice.
receiving needed assistance, such as lack of transport to take
victims to the hospital, long distances between villages and Recommendations for RWN and other Civil Society
limited health personnel to attend to survivors. Organizations

Finally, there is some sense of futility when trying to work • ontinue efforts in raising awareness among and training
C
within the system’s rules and regulations. For example, several of both men and women around human rights with a
participants note that men often can simply bribe the police specific focus on women’s rights.
and be released. According to one woman: “A neighbor of • rovide space for women for psychosocial support and
P
mine… is always beaten by the husband and whenever solidarity groups as a means to provide counseling,
she reports and they jail him, he bribes the leaders and promote mutual support and to learn from each other’s
is released.” experiences, as well as to foster self-help groups in
support of women’s economic independence.
Many women point out the limitations of legal recourse, such • trengthen legal aid programs with women’s associations.
S
as jail for offenders. As one woman recounts:
Recommendations for Government and
“I always told him that if he beats me again I will report him Development Partners
and he would tell me, ‘Where are you going to report me?
To the police? Go ahead and report, they will just jail me for • eriodically review laws to ensure that they provide
P
some days and release me.’ So I gave up reporting him.” adequate protection of Rwandan women.
• rain and raise awareness of community leaders to carry
T
Another woman gave up the prospect of obtaining assistance out campaigns at the community level that promote shifts
from her local leader “because that village leader was a best in perceptions and practices that foster violence against
friend to my husband; they used to share hemp and other women.
drugs. I decided to leave this.” • nsure adequate resources to all government structures
E
to ensure women’s protection and safety.
Conclusions and Recommendations • trengthen dialogue between government and civil society
S
on the issue of IPV/GBV.
This study fills an important gap in the evidence base by • nclude psychosocial support and mental health care as
I
documenting women’s experiences of violence in Bugesera a critical aspect in the provision of assistance for women
District and what types of assistance they seek in response survivors.
to the abuse. Despite the many challenges, women do seek • onduct awareness raising campaigns on women’s rights
C
help, generally in the form of emotional support and financial and gender equality to give added value to and ensure the
assistance to gain economic independence. Efforts to provide intent of policies and laws.
assistance by community members, local leaders, police and
hospitals are also encouraging but financial dependence on
husbands, the Rwandan culture of keeping family matters


From Campaign to Action: The 16 Days of Activism Campaign
in the Prevention of Gender-based Violence
Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF)
TWIFUNDE Centre for Learning
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences

The annual 16 Days of Activism Campaign first started in Key Findings
Tanzania in 1996 in response to the pervasiveness of
gender-based violence (GBV) in the country. Coordinated The 16 Days Campaign generates a high level of
by WiLDAF, the campaign brings together civil society involvement by partners and now engages more men
organizations, development partners and government than in the past.
agencies to mount a range of GBV awareness-raising
activities, such as dramas, exhibitions, presentations and From the planning to the implementation stage, partners are
discussions, and marching in the streets. Though the highly engaged in the 16 Days Campaign. The most striking
campaign is into its 12th year, little is known about the change in the last two years is the shift from participants in
partners’ perceptions of the campaign. Such information campaign activities being predominantly female to being both
is important for strengthening the organization, implementation male and female. As this female respondent explains:
and impact of campaign activities.
“…In the past we thought that these issues of fighting
WiLDAF conducted a study to understand the extent to against discrimination and violence were for women, but now
which the campaign has catalyzed activism and responses things are different; even men participate because they are
around the prevention of violence against women. The discriminated or affected by the gender based violence as
researchers collected qualitative data from 41 respondents well. Now they are our supporters in helping us fight gender
from three regions in the country: Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, based violence….”
and Kilimanjaro. The respondents were drawn purposefully
from selected campaign partners–NGOs, community The 16 Days Campaign contributes to improved
groups and government agencies–that address GBV and awareness of and responses to GBV.
that have participated in the 16 Days Campaign for the
past two years. A total of four focus group discussions, Most respondents state that the campaign has enabled
13 in-depth interviews and five key informant interviews communities to become aware of GBV issues. One female
were conducted. The study took place from April 2010- respondent observes:
January 2011.
“…First of all the awareness itself of understanding the
gender-based violence in the society, its effects, how to report
if there are incidents of violence and where the survivors can
get assistance …It is the campaign that helps the community
to know all about this, for example events or incidents that
people witness is one way of making the society understand
the effect of GBV….”


Dave Snyder
WiLDAF

Respondents cite other benefits of the campaign, including Government participation has been limited to high profile
popularizing their GBV work, using the campaign as a positions, with local government leaders who are closer to
mechanism to provide services, learning from their fellow communities playing less of a role. This is particularly
organizations, and expanding their networks to include non detrimental given their role in handling cases, as noted by
governmental and governmental actors. One male respondent this female respondent:
explains how the campaign has benefited his work:
“…It is true the Prime Minister has been coming, but
“…the campaign has resulted in great gain and benefits in personally I would have wished some other groups of
that it helps us to meet with various stakeholders who deal leaders to also turn up in good numbers. For example, District
with these issues of human rights and gender-based violence. Development Officers, Ward Social Workers and also if Ward
And I have met with many organizations, more than three, Executive Officer were involved in good numbers especially
and I have come to know many people. …so the first point as they are the ones who handle over 90% of all GBV cases
is that it has established for us a wide network…” in their areas of leadership…”

Survivors’ access to services has increased as a ripple Finally, the campaign is dependent on donor funding.
effect from the 16 Days Campaign. While the budgetary discussions have been open,
sometimes new budgets need to be calculated to reflect
Respondents report an increase in the utilization of services the availability of resources. For some partners this has
by survivors as an outcome of campaign activities. As been problematic, especially when budgetary constraints
explained by this female respondent, “We found that the mean a cut in their activities.
majority of our clients have come to know our services and
where they can access other such services through the The campaign theme and communications materials
various announcements made [during the campaign]….” are useful and applicable, but the messages should be
Respondents also cite an increase in the reporting of shorter and catchier.
incidents of GBV as a result of greater promotion and
availability of services, particularly legal recourse and referrals. Each year the national theme is adopted from the global
theme, as well as the regional theme for the East and Horn
Challenges to the 16 Days Campaign are that it has been of Africa set by the GBV Prevention Network. All zones in the
urban-centered, has had minimal cooperation from local country are required to adopt the national theme. Overall,
government and is dependent on donor funding. respondents report that the theme and accompanying
materials are relevant and useful, but that the underlying
Urban-centered campaigns generally fail to reach rural areas messages should be more precise and engaging so that
where the need may be greater to participate, experience and they are easier to communicate.
learn from campaign activities. One male respondent explains
the need to broaden the campaign’s geographic scope:

“… we have been holding these campaigns mainly in
urban settings but we now think it is important for such
campaigns to move to rural areas, where the incidence of
gender-based violence is higher; and also the cost of
operating the campaign is much lower…”


David Snyder/ICRW
Transparency in the planning and coordination process Conclusions and Recommendations
gives participating organizations a sense of ownership
and avoids duplication of effort. The 16 Days of Activism Campaign against Gender Violence
has catalyzed an array of opportunities to promote and
Most respondents say that planning meetings help in the implement GBV prevention and response strategies.
division of roles and responsibilities among the network The campaign has made GBV-related work more efficient
partners and avoid duplication of efforts. They also point by creating an interface between government and
out the sense of ownership they feel in carrying out the nongovernmental actions and, more generally, establishing
campaign, as observed by this female respondent: a platform for GBV actors to network. It also encourages
new partners to engage in GBV-related work, increases
“…There is a sense of ownership among all of us and not community awareness of GBV and provides a mechanism for
WiLDAF themselves. We see that 16 Days is like our baby the provision of GBV-related services. Joint pre-campaign
even when we sit there and supervise a certain activity….” activities accord ownership and transparency and create
synergy for post-campaign GBV work. To be more effective,
This reflects WiLDAF’s deliberate attempt to make the catchy and shorter messages need to be developed and the
planning and implementation processes participatory, trans- involvement of local leaders in the campaign needs to be
parent and meaningful to the organizations as they carry out increased. Other recommendations are as follows:
local activities in addition to what is already
planned nationally. • ore rigorous research is needed to determine the
M
campaign’s outcomes on community stakeholders’
GBV-related knowledge, attitudes and practices.
• he government should build on its increasing engagement
T
in the campaign by formally recognizing the International
Day on Violence against Women and linking the 16 Days
of Activism Campaign with other national events such as
National HIV/AIDS Day.
• ocal government authorities should include their
L
engagement in the 16 Days of Activism Campaign in
their yearly action plans and budgeting to ensure roll out
of the campaign in rural communities.
• ational and zonal coordinators should make deliberate
N
efforts to ensure that more GBV prevention partners
participate in campaign activities to facilitate the campaign
having a more positive influence on their programs.


Understanding Community Perspectives of Child Sexual Abuse in Malawi
Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO)
Addis Continental Institute of Public Health (ACIPH)

Child sexual abuse is a global public health concern. forms of child sexual abuse are less well recognized, such
The World Health Organization defines child sexual abuse as as looking at a child’s genitalia (52.5 percent) and showing
“the involvement of a child in sexual activity that he or she children one’s sex organs (76 percent).
does not fully comprehend, is unable to give informed
consent to, or for which the child is not developmentally While respondents overwhelmingly recognize that girls
prepared and cannot give consent, or that violates the laws are victims of abuse, there is less awareness that boys
or social taboos of society.” too are affected.

YONECO, in collaboration with ACIPH, conducted a study to Almost all (98 percent) community members surveyed agree
understand the perspectives of child sexual abuse among with the statement that victims of sexual abuse are often
community members and service providers. The study took girls. But only 62 percent indicate that boys are also abused.
place in three districts in southern Malawi where YONECO The qualitative data reveal that some are aware of boys
operates. A total of 866 individuals, 18 years and older, were being sexually abused. The following quotes are from a
surveyed (595 women and 271 men). In addition, the study participant in an FGD of adolescent boys and a health
team conducted 30 interviews with police, social and health worker, respectively.
services providers, and community leaders, as well as 12
focus group discussions (FGDs) with community members “Sometimes they [women] seduce boys or even force boys to
(adolescent and adult men and women). All respondents sleep with them… We know of cases of boys that have been
provided informed consent prior to participation in the study. infected with STIs within the community or households.”

Key Findings “I met a boy aged between 9 and 10. He had a sexually
transmitted disease and was releasing puss from his penis.
Awareness of child sexual abuse is high. I sat down and thought about how he got the disease at that
tender age. I did ask him a number of questions but he could
About 85 percent of survey respondents have heard of child not reveal because his parents were present. I asked his
sexual abuse. Nearly two-thirds of those who have heard of parents to leave us alone so that he could be free to talk,
child sexual abuse say it occurs in their community. Of these, still he couldn’t reveal.”
almost half say they know of a sexually abused child, and in
almost all of these cases, this child has experienced penetrative Many respondents believe that cases of child sexual
sexual intercourse. According to an FGD participant: abuse are never reported.

“Child sexual abuse happens usually when a child is on the More than a third (36 percent) of community members
way somewhere, going to hospital or to the market ... It surveyed feel that cases of child sexual abuse are never
happens even at household level, fathers can defile or rape reported to the authorities. Shame is a common reason
their children when their mother is away. Sometimes at the why cases go unreported. According to a District Social
river when they are bathing, sometimes a man just comes Welfare Assistant:
from nowhere and forces the girl to have sex with him.”
“Victims mostly are afraid, others are ashamed and others
The most recognized forms of child sexual abuse are sexual feel guilty or blame themselves, they feel like outcasts in the
penetration (98 percent), insertion of an object in the genital families and society. Usually they withdraw, they stay away
area (94 percent) and fondling a child (90 percent). Other from people, and not only the survivors but even the parents


of the victim are ashamed, they do not talk, they do not know “Currently the services are not enough… each and every
where to go and others do not know the long term effects of police officer should have the capability of handling child
the sexual abuse that has occurred to their child.” sexual abuse, and [so should] the community at large as
we all understand that these abuses happen at community
Counseling is not well recognized by community level, so we need other stakeholders to take a leading role
members as being important for survivors. in assisting these survivors….”

Most community members surveyed (78 percent) agree that Parents are becoming more comfortable talking about
children who experience sexual abuse should receive medical sexual abuse with their children, though additional
treatment. But only 13 percent indicate that counseling is also efforts are needed to reach adults and children.
necessary. A District Social Welfare Assistant and community
leader, respectively, describe the importance of counseling More than three-fourths (77 percent) of surveyed respondents
and support: think that parents are a source of information for children
about child sexual abuse. Yet only 35 percent say they
“On her own or on his own it’s difficult to cope because there received information from their parents about the topic during
is stigmatization or discrimination because some may say childhood. More encouragingly, greater than half (55 percent)
he or she was deliberately doing it, because there was some of parents report that they discuss child sexual abuse with
sort of agreement. This is why we encourage counseling. their adolescent children. The main reason for not discussing
This counseling is not only targeted to the victim but also the topic is not having an adolescent child in the house.
to the community. We tell them to accept the child without Very few cite discomfort by the parent or child, lack of
stigmatization.” privacy or lack of information.

“In most cases it becomes difficult for such abused children Besides their parents, survey respondents note other sources
to have a bright future because they are already affected of information. About 38 percent cite events organized
mentally. But it depends on the support they can get from by schools, community gatherings and civil society
religious leaders and other people who can encourage them, organizations as sources of discussion on the topic.
because this was not their wish.” Yet many adults and children are still not being reached
by these community conversations.
While services are available for abused children,
those provided by the public sector are perceived as There is wide support for family members to discuss
inadequate and of poor quality. child sexual abuse with children.

Interview and FGD participants report that services exist for Interestingly, grandparents are mentioned most often as being
children who have experienced sexual abuse. They cite the appropriate people to discuss sexual abuse with children
police, social services and NGOs. While a majority of service (96 percent) followed by mothers (92 percent) and aunts
providers interviewed are passionate about providing support (91 percent). But uncles (88 percent) and fathers (85 percent)
for abused children, they believe that the public services lack are also perceived as appropriate sources. A female
quality, coordination and rely heavily on NGOs. According to a participant in an FGD notes, “…child victims report to
police officer: parents or elders who have wisdom… Some of the victims
feel free to talk to their parents while others are free with
their grandparents.”


Respondents perceive schools as unsafe spaces for girls. I
ncrease children’s and adults’ access to information
on child sexual abuse.
A large majority of community members (85 percent) believe
that child sexual abuse is common in and around schools. There is a need to intensify and diversify sources of
Male teachers and students are frequently cited as information on child sexual abuse in the community.
perpetrators of sexual violence against girls. Less than half This entails equipping parents and other family members
of respondents believe that cases of sexual abuse within with the information and skills to communicate with their
the school environment are reported to teachers or school children. It also means working with teachers so that
management. Schools are also not perceived as sources of they can be sources of information to children.
information about child sexual abuse. Only 37 percent of
survey respondents think that schools provide information to Ensure that the information provides a fuller picture of
children about the topic. Yet 87 percent believe that teachers what constitutes sexual abuse and that it conveys that
should discuss child sexual abuse with children. There is also boys can also be victims.
support for holding teachers accountable for abusing children.
According to an FGD participant: Education and awareness programs should emphasize that
sexual abuse constitutes a range of behaviors, including
“The role of the school is to make sure that children are inappropriate touching and showing pornography. They also
getting education and protection, so if teachers are need to highlight that boys are vulnerable to sexual abuse
abusing children sexually they should be punished severely, perpetrated by men and women.
they should go to jail and others will learn from them.”
Improve reporting of child sexual abuse and services
Conclusions and Recommendations for child survivors.

Despite high awareness of child sexual abuse among study To improve reporting of abuse, more work is needed to
participants there are important gaps in their knowledge, mitigate the shame felt by children and families who are
including what constitutes sexual abuse, who are the victims affected. More supportive community reporting structures
and what services are needed by survivors. Participants and survivor services are also needed.
perceive that reporting of sexual abuse is limited, with shame
being an important reason for underreporting. In addition, Make schools safer places for children.
schools are viewed as particularly vulnerable places for girls.
On the positive side, the police, government social services All stakeholders should work to ensure that the school
and NGOs provide some services upon which to build to environment is safe for children. School systems in
reach more people with information, counseling and redress. particular need to enforce teacher codes of conduct
There is also wide support for family members and teachers and increase awareness of child sexual abuse among pupils
to be sources of information for children on sexual abuse. and their educators.
Moreover, some parents are talking with their children about
sexual abuse and some participants have themselves been
reached by community events on the topic. The following
recommendations emerge from the study:


Part 4: Achievements and Lessons Learned

At the conclusion of the program, ICRW solicited feedback passed on this information, awareness and capacity to
from the six participating organizations, mentors, and the colleagues, thus having a wider impact on the institution.
GBV Prevention Network on the program’s accomplishments, One component of the capacity-building program that NGO
challenges, and ideas for strengthening the model. This participants especially appreciated was the chance to present
section synthesizes the feedback, presenting the program’s their study findings at SVRI, an international conference
achievements and lessons learned. that brings together researchers, activists and program
implementers seeking to combat sexual violence.
Achievements A participant notes that the program’s peer review process
to develop and fine tune each presentation was empowering:
The achievements described below indicate that the program
has led to personal advancement, fostered institutional “The criticisms given were positive and enabled me to
change, and contributed to evidence-based advocacy and reflect further and synthesize our findings further. The peer
programming around violence against women. assessment that was part of developing my presentation [for
SVRI] was the most thrilling. We were very open and objective
The research-NGO partnership model strengthened while giving comments to each other. This increased my
NGOs’ capacity to conduct action research and present confidence and ability to share our findings.”
their findings to an international audience.
The study findings are being used as intended–to
The program included both formal training that brought increase awareness, improve programs and support
together all NGO participants and their mentors as well as advocacy efforts.
informal interactions between each activist organization
and its mentor. Overall, participants feel that the model Participants have disseminated and discussed findings from
increased their knowledge and enhanced their skills to the research both internally and externally (in addition to
conduct qualitative research that could be translated into SVRI). RAPCAN, for example, has shared findings on service
action. According to one participant: responses to the co-victimization of mothers and children
with its research participants and interested organizations
“The capacity building approach worked well. When you are in South Africa, including child rights groups. They have
doing your university education, your study of research is prepared a briefing document specifically targeted to
more theoretical. The challenge is to translate theory into government policymakers and are using the findings to
practice. This process took us through the nitty gritties of frame other interventions RAPCAN is developing alone
conducting research.” and with others. ACFODE’s research that identifies the
weaknesses and strengths of the traditional and formal
What stands out for another NGO participant is the justice mechanisms for women who experience violence is
“combination of theory training and practical work on the feeding into a new pilot project to prevent violence in families
ground that involved individuals from different countries.” and communities. One part of the project is a video
This was particularly valuable in fostering learning, documentary that will include how traditional leaders have
experience sharing and networking. helped women access justice, reflecting insights from
research conducted as part of this program. CEHURA has
Participants report that the program has given them the used its findings to raise awareness and stimulate dialogue
knowledge and skills to conduct relevant, useful and ethical among government representatives, civil society, and
research on violence against women. In turn, they have community elders and youth on the negative impact of


WiLDAF

bride price. They have found through their research that it is In some cases this new understanding of the value of
particularly important to engage elders in these discussions research and the importance of ethical review has led to
as they are critical in the bride price negotiation process. institutional changes. One participant reports that her
WiLDAF in Tanzania is using the findings from its evaluation of organization has established ethical guidelines for the
the 16 Days Campaign to Prevent Gender-based Violence to research it undertakes and all protocols must receive ethical
inform planning of the 2012 annual campaign scheduled for approval prior to their implementation. Another says she
November/December. was made a program officer in monitoring and evaluation–a
new department that the organization’s leadership created to
The program has fostered an appreciation for the power of reflect their interest in doing further research and developing
research, leading to individual and institutional changes. new staff capacities. A third highlights several ways in which
research has gained greater prominence within the institution
Participants note that they have developed a higher regard for as a whole:
the value of action research, which is having an impact on the
way they do their work. According to one participant: “We finished our five-year plan and have realized that
research has to be part of what we are doing. Policy analysis
“Now I am developing a tool for tracking gender-based is key to influencing advocacy, for example. We have
violence in health facilities. As I have received training on the developed a monitoring framework to track cases of
importance of consent, ethical considerations, and how to ask violence against women at the community level and the
permission of potential participants, I am incorporating this information gathered is to inform our national level advocacy.”
knowledge into my current work. I am doing it more
scientifically, more ethically in order to get quality data.” The program has demystified research thereby breaking
down barriers between research and activism.
Another participant comments on how the program’s focus on
advocacy has changed with regard to what they do with the Participants recount how learning about technical terms
data they collect. He notes that while previously they would made them feel on par with researchers and gave them
simply compile data, now they use it proactively to inform greater confidence in discussing research findings and
their advocacy work. pursuing further research. According to one participant:

A third participant relates how research has become more “My understanding of doing research, both qualitative and
institutionalized: quantitative, has improved a lot. After the training, I can give
feedback on scientific research. I understand the language
“Overall, participation in the project has opened our eyes. We of research, how to develop a protocol, how to articulate
see the value of research where before we didn’t. Now we say the problem you want to solve. My approach to research
‘yes we must do further research.’ If cases of violence against has changed. Now my co-workers see me as an expert
women are being reported, we want to know why the violence in research since I now know about terms like ‘rigor’ and
continues: are there new trends, issues to focus on? What has ‘triangulation.’ This has given me more confidence to pursue
changed since participating is that research has become a key research.”
strategy for our advocacy and program work. We have
programs in different parts of the country but now we talk
about establishing a baseline. We don’t just go in and
implement–but that our implementation is informed by data.”


Another notes how her strengthened research capacity has Lessons Learned
added value to her work as a whole:
This program demonstrates that building the capacity of
“I recognize the work involved and still think it is difficult but NGOs to conduct qualitative, action research by pairing
at least I can now go in with my eyes open and informed. I researchers with activists is a time-intensive process but one
can now tap into my research and activist capacities to enrich that has positive outcomes for programs and advocacy to
my work, understanding the difference between the way combat violence against women. The following lessons can
researchers and activists present their work and to use these inform future efforts to build research capacity in the region
skills to present to different audiences.” and elsewhere. These lessons reflect the components of the
model that worked particularly well as well as challenges in
Engagement in the program has expanded carrying out the program.
participants’ networks.
Skills of activist organizations can be meaningfully
The participating organizations range from very small NGOs strengthened by using group training and a
like CEHURA to more established NGOs like ACFODE. Yet mentoring approach.
each expanded their networks, creating new relationships or
deepening existing ones with organizations and institutions Activists who began with very limited research skills now feel
focused on violence against women. RAPCAN is continuing considerably more competent to conduct qualitative studies
to work with MRC on additional research. WiLDAF’s research and use the findings to inform programs and advocacy
findings on the 16 Days Campaign to Prevent Gender-based efforts. The provision of technical assistance through
Violence are relevant to the GBV Prevention Network, a continuous mentoring and once-a-year trainings on key
coordinator of the regional campaign. As a result, WiLDAF components in the research process has been effective in
now has strengthened ties not only with the Network, but improving participants’ research capacities. However, in
also with other Tanzanian NGOs. After presenting its findings most cases, the organizations can still benefit from partnering
at SVRI, ACFODE established new links with individuals and with more experienced researchers. But what has changed is
organizations seeking partnerships, including Purdue that now such partnerships can be on a more equal footing,
University’s Department of History and Women’s Studies. with the activist organizations playing a greater and more
These new contacts enable participants to feel they are meaningful role in conducting research on issues that they
part of and contributing to a broader network that values deem as priorities.
action research as a key strategy to combat violence against
women. According to one participant: Participants’ presentation of results at a national,
regional or international forum builds oral and written
“I keep on receiving information from them [SVRI]–their communication skills.
publications, events. I don’t feel alone–I am working on
violence against women with other countries and other Participants’ presentation of their findings at SVRI was an
continents as well.” empowering process that gave them hands-on experience
in a number of areas. These include identifying their most
important results, making sure their conclusions reflect the
data, and putting together a strong powerpoint presentation
and presenting it within a designated time frame.


Working with peer organizations enhances learning Managing communication among partners needs to
and accountability. be a key priority.

Working with peers within the GBV Prevention Network made With such a diverse group of partners, both geographically
the experience less intimidating as participants worked jointly and in terms of experience and mission, it was a challenge to
to critique and learn from each other. keep all partners informed and engaged in the process over
the three year period. Several departures and staff changes
The leadership of the GBV Prevention Network was in partner organizations meant that continuity or past
instrumental in sustaining the momentum and ensuring experience was lost, and difficult to replace. Although the
that participating organizations met their obligations and research teams started out with a lot of enthusiasm,
completed their planned activities. particularly during data collection, some of the groups got
bogged down during analysis and report writing, which are
Clarifying roles and expectations is important to do the most difficult parts of the research process. Future
from the onset. efforts should emphasize maintaining communication and
motivation, particularly between the steering group members
For most of the NGOs selected, despite having received basic and the mentors, so that they, in turn can keep the NGO
training through the PATH/MRC workshops, this was the first teams engaged throughout the process.
time they had actually participated in a study as researchers.
Consequently, they needed considerable support from their Further investment is needed to build on the program’s
mentors in addition to the attention they received during the achievements in developing research capacity and
yearly group trainings. This was particularly true with regard building the evidence base.
to data analysis and report writing. In some cases the needs
of NGO partners did not coincide with the availability of the ICRW, MRC and the GBV Prevention Network are well placed
mentors, whereas in other cases, the NGO partners found it to further the gains from this program. This would entail
difficult to make time for research activities. In the midst of honing the research skills of the participating NGOs through
competing organizational priorities, both situations led to refresher trainings and fostering partnerships and mentoring
delays and occasional frustration. For future endeavors, these between other researchers and activists in the region. Such
issues should be clarified early on in the process. Making efforts will create a stronger and more diverse base of skilled
sure that both the research and the activist partners feel that researchers and practitioners to catalyze action needed to
their needs and contributions are being recognized and combat violence against women.
addressed is crucial for a successful partnership.


International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) Asia Regional Office ICRW East Africa Regional Office
1120 20th Street, NW C – 139, Defence Colony ABC Place
Washington, DC 20036 New Delhi, India – 110024 Waiyaki Way, Westlands
P.O. Box 20792, 00100 GPO
www.icrw.org Tel: 91.11.4664.3333
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: 202.797.0007 Email: info.india@icrw.org
Email: info@icrw.org Tel: 254.20.2632012
Email: info@icrw.org

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