Projects

Short Description:

Overall goal

The overall objective of the programme is that women and girls subjected to violence in Southern Africa have improved knowledge of their legal rights and access to victim-centred and human-rights based recourse mechanisms, including to gender-responsive criminal justice and protection services, thus being empowered to exercise their rights.

Strengthening the legal framework and improving the capacities of duty bearers (criminal justice institutions and practitioners) to deliver gender responsive criminal justice is expected to reduce gender inequalities and empower women; a central component to the achievement of SDGs 5 and 16.

Expected results

Expected results

Outcome 1: Development of regional legislative standards on addressing gender-based violence (GBV) to guide national legislations in Member States of the Southern African Development Community.

Outcome 2: Improved capacity of criminal justice practitioners (police, prosecutors, judges and magistrates) to deliver gender-responsive criminal justice, in the region.

Outcome 3: Improved awareness among the public and victims of GBV on their rights to access criminal justice services within the region.

Outcome 4: Strengthened capacity of GBV Prevention Unit in Namibia to offer integrated services to GBV victims.

Outcome 5: Strengthened criminal justice capacity in Namibia to deliver gender-responsive criminal justice.

Outcome 6: Strengthened, accessible, gender-responsive criminal justice systems in Mozambique, nationally (Maputo) and within the provinces of Sofala and Cabo Delgado.

Target group / Beneficiaries

The Project is expected to reach 660 direct beneficiaries: 105 at regional level and 305 in Namibia and 250 in Mozambique. The group of direct beneficiaries comprises:

(i) criminal justice and law enforcement practitioners, including police officers, prosecutors, judges, magistrates, other service providers on GBV prevention and response;

(ii) legislators, professional networks, policy makers

(iii) Civil society organizations working on GBV.

In total, about 29,340 indirect beneficiaries will be reached through the project, in particular, victims/survivors of gender-based violence who are in contact with the criminal justice system, and its collaborative partners. At regional level, approximately 17,340, in Namibia about 5,000 persons and in Mozambique approximately 7,000 people are expected to indirectly benefit from gender-responsive, human-rights based, victim-centered services that are tailored to their needs with special attention to vulnerable and marginalised groups, including persons with disabilities.

Activities

-) Develop a regional Model Law for GBV in cooperation with SADC technical taskforce, experts and regional professional networks.

-) Development of web-based regional training modules on the investigation, prosecution and adjudication of GBV cases for police, prosecutors and judges.

-) Development of advocacy and awareness raising campaigns to improve awareness among the public and victims of GBV on their rights to access criminal justice services within the region.

-) Training of police, prosecutors and judges to improve integrated services to GBV victims in Namibia.

-) Development of and training on the use of an interagency GBV case management system to improve integrated services to GBV victims in Namibia.

-) Training of criminal justice practitioners on gender-responsive case management and victim centred adjudication of GBV cases in Mozambique.

-) Development of a web-based platform to host resources and capacity building programmes on GBV for criminal justice practitioners in Mozambique.

Context

According to a SADC study conducted in 2017-18, GBV is a common phenomenon in the region, with some countries reflecting up to 70% prevalence. The overall objective of phase II of the project is to respond to identified needs (as indicated in the SADC GBV Strategy, GBV Baseline study, Situational assessment) and to build on achievements and lessons learned during Phase I (2012-2019). In order to achieve the overall objective, the project consists of several activity areas: (1) Legislation (2) Capacity building; (3) Cooperation; (4) Advocacy and Awareness.

During the second year of the implementation of the programme it was decided to extend country-specific interventions of the regional programme to Mozambique which is faced by increased complexities due to the armed conflict in the north of the country as well as the COVID-19 pandemic and exposure to climatic changes and increased natural disasters. Targeted interventions at national level as well as in Sofala and Cabo Delgado are expected to strengthen the criminal justice system to make it more accessible and gender-responsive with regard to the adjudication of GBV cases.