Media Release: REASON FOR HOPE: 2nd Southern Africa Symposium on Preventing Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
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- by CSVR
Pretoria, South Africa – The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), Africa Legal Aid (AFLA), the Embassy of Netherlands in South Africa, the Embassy of Ireland in South Africa, the Embassy of Switzerland in South Africa, the Peace and Human Rights Division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and Ubomi Trust are pleased to announce the 2nd Southern Africa Symposium on Preventing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Southern Africa.
Themed "Reason for Hope," the symposium will be a hybrid event, held at the Dutch Ambassador's Residence in Pretoria from 22-23 August 2024, bringing together diverse stakeholders to address and strategize on combating the GBV scourge in the Southern African region.
Despite being one of the more peaceful regions in Africa, Southern Africa faces a hidden crisis of GBV and femicide. Recent statistics from the World Population Review highlight that Botswana, Lesotho, and South Africa rank the highest globally on incidences of rape. This alarming trend underscores the need for an urgent, comprehensive and regionally coordinated response. As such, the critical need for a concerted effort to end GBV, support survivors, and educate communities.
The 2024 symposium will build on the progress of the inaugural 2023 forum, which gathered gender experts, human rights defenders, policymakers, and community leaders to discuss effective measures in scaling up GBV response strategies. The 2024 edition, will expand its focus to include Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, addressing regional challenges and sharing innovative solutions.
In addition to addressing regional challenges and sharing innovative solutions there will be a strong focus on the importance of streamlining and strengthen regional and sub-regional networks and partnerships to accelerate GBV response strategies.
Expected Outcomes:
- Enhanced understanding of GBV issues and effective prevention strategies in the region.
- Comprehensive and regionally coordinated responses to GBV
- Greater involvement of women, victims, and community leaders in amplifying community-led GBV prevention and response efforts.
The symposium is proudly supported by the Embassies of Ireland, the Netherlands and Switzerland in South Africa and UNESCO whose support underscore a shared commitment to addressing GBV in Southern Africa. For more information and to join, please visit https://www.africalegalaid.com/ and https://www.csvr.org.za/
Zoom links and details:
Day 1:
Time: Aug 22, 2024, 09:00 AM
Johannesburg Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85602832289?pwd=75e11G8GbnbF632A3voeI4yGhLOa8N.1
Meeting ID: 856 0283 2289
Passcode: 085832
Day 2:
Time: Aug 23, 2024
09:00 AM Johannesburg Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86419142308?pwd=7amCaRmljbKMbun71zYpfGReifor3b.1
Meeting ID: 864 1914 2308
Passcode: 389736
Media Contacts:
Athini Magodla
Gender Assistant at CSVR
amagodla@csvr.org.za / communication@csvr.org.za
Celine Wanjiru Ngatia
Communications Associate at Africa Legal Aid
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About the Partners:
- Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR): Established in 1989, CSVR is an independent NGO dedicated to understanding and preventing violence, promoting gender equality, and building sustainable peace through research, advocacy, and psychosocial support.
- Africa Legal Aid (AFLA): Founded in 1995, AFLA promotes human rights and international justice in Africa with a focus on victim-centred and gender-sensitive approaches.
- Embassy of Ireland: Supports initiatives aimed at promoting human rights and gender equality through collaborative partnerships and development programs in countries of accreditation.
- UNESCO: A United Nations agency dedicated to promoting peace and security through international cooperation in education, science, and culture.
- The Peace and Human Rights Division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Embassy of Switzerland: The Swiss Embassy in Pretoria represents Switzerland's interests in South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The Embassy supports human rights initiatives in the Southern Africa region.
- Embassy of Netherlands: The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Pretoria and the Consulate General in Cape Town represent and protect the interests of the government of the Netherlands, as well as those of Dutch nationals in the Republic of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho.
- Ubomi Trust: Known for its Philanthropic initiatives
CSVR is a multi-disciplinary institute that seeks to understand and prevent violence, heal its effects and build sustainable peace at the community, national and regional levels.
