scholarly journals “Stop the War on Women’s Bodies”: Facilitating a Girl-Led March Against Sexual Violence in a Rural Community in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Relebohile Moletsane
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Rural Community ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Gender Norms ◽  
Women's Activism ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Gender Based

Internationally, there is increasing recognition that girls and young women are engaged in various forms of resistance and activism to address social issues that impact their lives. However, in contexts that are hostile to girls and young women due to unequal gender norms, girls are often silenced, and activism is met with disapproval and even violence. Where activism does occur, the voices of girls and young women engaged therein are often ignored. It is for this reason that adult activists often team up with and support girls and young women’s activism at the community level. In a rural community in South Africa, adult researchers and activists from a university worked with participating girls and young women to address sexual violence in the community. Within this collaborative project to commemorate the annual National Women’s Day, and with the assistance of the adult researchers, the participants organized an awareness march against sexual violence in their community. This article examines this intergenerational collaboration and the role of adult feminists in enabling girls’ voices to be heard regarding their experiences of sexual violence and how it might be addressed. The article concludes that in contexts where unequal gender norms produce high rates of gender-based violence, including sexual violence against girls and young women, girl-led activism is likely to occur with the support of adult activists with access to resources, and whose skills and relative authority gives them access to decision-makers and policy makers in communities and organizations.

scholarly journals Exploring the feasibility and acceptability of integrating screening for gender-based violence into HIV counselling and testing for adolescent girls and young women in Tanzania and South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela Colombini ◽  
◽  
Fiona Scorgie ◽  
Anne Stangl ◽  
Sheila Harvey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Hiv Prevention ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Hiv Risk ◽  
Clinical Staff ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Hiv Counselling And Testing ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Study Participants

Abstract Background Gender-based violence (GBV) undermines HIV prevention and treatment cascades, particularly among women who report partner violence. Screening for violence during HIV testing, and prior to offering pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to HIV uninfected women, provides an opportunity to identify those at heightened HIV risk and greater potential for non-adherence or early discontinuation of PrEP. The paper describes our experience with offering integrated GBV screening and referral as part of HIV counselling and testing. This component was implemented within EMPOWER, a demonstration project offering combination HIV prevention, including daily oral PrEP, to young women in South Africa and Tanzania. Methods Between February 2017 and March 2018, a process evaluation was conducted to explore views, experiences and practices of stakeholders (study participants and study clinical staff) during implementation of the GBV screening component. This article assesses the feasibility and acceptability of the approach from multiple stakeholder perspectives, drawing on counselling session observations (n = 10), in-depth interviews with participants aged 16–24 (n = 39) and clinical staff (n = 13), and notes from debriefings with counsellors. Study process data were also collected (e.g. number of women screened and referred). Following a thematic inductive approach, qualitative data were analysed using qualitative software (NVivo 11). Results Findings show that 31% of young women screened positive for GBV and only 10% requested referrals. Overall, study participants accessing PrEP were amenable to being asked about violence during HIV risk assessment, as this offered the opportunity to find emotional relief and seek help, although a few found this traumatic. In both sites, the sensitive and empathetic approach of the staff helped mitigate distress of GBV disclosure. In general, the delivery of GBV screening in HCT proved to be feasible, provided that the basic principles of confidentiality, staff empathy, and absence of judgment were observed. However, uptake of linkage to further care remained low in both sites. Conclusion Most stakeholders found GBV screening acceptable and feasible. Key principles that should be in place for young women to be asked safely about GBV during HIV counselling and testing included respect for confidentiality, a youth-friendly and non-judgmental environment, and a functioning referral network.

scholarly journals Gender-Based Violence and Armed Conflict

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 368-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer J. Mootz ◽  
Sally D. Stabb ◽  
Debra Mollen
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Physical Violence ◽  
Early Marriage ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Gender Based

The high prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV) in armed conflict has been documented in various national contexts, but less is known about the complex pathways that constitute the relation between the two. Employing a community-based collaborative approach, we constructed a community-informed socioecological conceptual model from a feminist perspective, detailing how armed conflict relates to GBV in a conflict-affected rural community in Northeastern Uganda. The research questions were as follows: (1) How does the community conceptualize GBV? and (2) How does armed conflict relate to GBV? Nine focus group discussions divided by gender, age, and profession and six key informant interviews were conducted. Participants’ ages ranged from 9 to 80 years ( n = 34 girls/women, n = 43 boys/men). Grounded theory was used in analysis. Participants conceptualized eight forms of and 22 interactive variables that contributed to GBV. Armed conflict affected physical violence/quarreling, sexual violence, early marriage, and land grabbing via a direct pathway and four indirect pathways initiated through looting of resources, militarization of the community, death of a parent(s) or husband, and sexual violence. The findings suggest that community, organizational, and policy-level interventions, which include attention to intersecting vulnerabilities for exposure to GBV in conflict-affected settings, should be prioritized. While tertiary psychological interventions with women and girls affected by GBV in these areas should not be eliminated, we suggest that policy makers and members of community and organizational efforts make systemic and structural changes. Online slides for instructors who want to use this article for teaching are available on PWQ 's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/page/pwq/suppl/index

scholarly journals Prevalence and patterns of gender-based violence across adolescent girls and young women in Mombasa, Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Parinita Bhattacharjee ◽  
Huiting Ma ◽  
Helgar Musyoki ◽  
Eve Cheuk ◽  
Shajy Isac ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Sex Work ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Casual Sex ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Intimate Partners ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Police Violence ◽  
Gender Based

Abstract Background We sought to estimate the prevalence and describe heterogeneity in experiences of gender-based violence (GBV) across subgroups of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). Methods We used data from a cross-sectional bio-behavioural survey among 1299 AGYW aged 14–24 in Mombasa, Kenya in 2015. Respondents were recruited from hotspots associated with sex work, and self-selected into one of three subgroups: young women engaged in casual sex (YCS), young women engaged in transactional sex (YTS), and young women engaged in sex work (YSW). We compared overall and across subgroups: prevalence of lifetime and recent (within previous year) self-reported experience of physical, sexual, and police violence; patterns and perpetrators of first and most recent episode of physical and sexual violence; and factors associated with physical and sexual violence. Results The prevalences of lifetime and recent physical violence were 18.0 and 10.7% respectively. Lifetime and recent sexual violence respectively were reported by 20.5 and 9.8% of respondents. Prevalence of lifetime and recent experience of police violence were 34.7 and 25.8% respectively. All forms of violence were most frequently reported by YSW, followed by YTS and then YCS. 62%/81% of respondents reported having sex during the first episode of physical/sexual violence, and 48%/62% of those sex acts at first episode of physical/sexual violence were condomless. In the most recent episode of violence when sex took place levels of condom use remained low at 53–61%. The main perpetrators of violence were intimate partners for YCS, and both intimate partners and regular non-client partners for YTS. For YSW, first-time and regular paying clients were the main perpetrators of physical and sexual violence. Alcohol use, ever being pregnant and regular source of income were associated with physical and sexual violence though it differed by subgroup and type of violence. Conclusions AGYW in these settings experience high vulnerability to physical, sexual and police violence. However, AGYW are not a homogeneous group, and there are heterogeneities in prevalence and predictors of violence between subgroups of AGYW that need to be understood to design effective programmes to address violence.

How to Live with a Female Body: Securityscapes against Sexual Violence and Related Interpretation Patterns of Kyrgyz Women

2020 ◽  
pp. 117-152
Author(s):  
Kathrin Oestmann ◽  
Anna M. Korschinek
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Security Measures ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Interpretation Patterns

The chapter investigates individual securityscapes that respond to gender-based violence. Indeed, large parts of Kyrgyz society remain structured around highly patriarchal norms and violence against women is commonplace. Academic literature on this problem has so far mainly considered the practice of 'bride kidnapping' in rural areas of the country. However, as this chapter demonstrates, it also concerns young women in the capital city of Bishkek. In order to avoid the ever-present prospect of sexual harassment or even rape, they need to adhere to specific security measures that determine much of their daily lives. This involves, for example, remaining inconspicuous and constricting their movements around certain times and places.

scholarly journals Using the Visual to Address Gender-Based Violence in Rural South Africa: Ethical Considerations

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 341-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid Jane Treffry-Goatley ◽  
Lisa Wiebesiek ◽  
Relebohile Moletsane
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Population Group ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Gender Based

Violence against women and girls (VAW) is a critical issue of global importance. Research suggests that indigenous girls and young women from resource-poor, rural communities are particularly susceptible to VAW and yet, few studies directly target this vulnerable population group due to ethical considerations. We present some emerging ndings from rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where we are using participatory visual research with girls and young women to investigate VAW in this context. Our results suggest while ethical issues may arise in the application of participatory visual tools in contexts of vulnerability, it is still possible to proceed without harm and to gain pertinent insight into this important issue.

Understanding Gender-Based Violence Prevention among Young Women : Youth Workers Perspective?

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-191
Author(s):  
Thulani Andrew Chauke ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Gender Based

This study focused on the expertise of youth workers in preventing violent acts with special focus on young women. A qualitative research approach was employed in this study. Ten youth workers were purposefully sampled to participate in this study. An unstructured interview schedule was also used to gather data. An exploratory research design was used to explore the experience of the participants. Data were analysed using thematic coding. Violence against young women in South Africa is a widespread problem that affect young women’s capabilities. South Africa is also facing a high prevalence of gang rape and young women are the most affected group. The findings reflect that youth workers prevent violence against young women by offering young people, both male and female, the following interventions: building youth self-esteem, health education and empowerment, soft skills programmes and building youth resilience. The study recommends that the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities establish a funding directorate that will focus on funding youth workers led non-profit organisations (NPOs) that have holistic youth programmes that mainly address violence against young women and social behaviour change programmes among young men.

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