Interfaith GBV Prevention and Mitigation Strategy 2024-2030

The much-anticipated Interfaith GBV Prevention and Mitigation Strategy 2024-2030 draft was unveiled at the September Interfaith Forum meeting on 3 September 2024.

A validation process is now underway in the different faith communities to shape the final Strategy which will be launched in Gauteng on 3 October 2024. 

 Background

The Strategy has its roots in an organic consultation process amongst diverse scholars, activists and leaders, as well as Non-Governmental

Organisations (NGOs) working in the faith sector, that originally began as early as 2013 ad intensified during 2020. It constitutes an attempt to unite a growing faith sector movement that has recognised the seriousness of gender-based violence (GBV) in all its forms including femicide, as perhaps the most fundamental and enduring social challenge in South Africa today. The Strategy is spearheaded by the Faith Action to End GBV in collaboration with WWSOSA and partners.

As part of the broader civil society sector, faith-based organisations (FBOs) have a long history of playing significant roles in local community development in various ways including, but not limited to GBV primary (early intervention) and secondary prevention (response). While the religious sector continues to have a reputation for its silence, condoning and/or perpetrating various forms of GBV, growing numbers of progressive voices are emerging.

After excluding the faith sector from the first GBV Summit in 2021, the 2nd Presidential Summit on GBVF in 2022 overtly recognised the important role that the faith sector can and in some instances does play, as a key stakeholder in the prevention of and response to GBV. In November 2023, after almost two years of consultations amongst people of eight diverse religious traditions, the Faith Action Collective launched a Joint Interfaith GBV Statement of Commitment and ran a Signature Campaign, garnering almost 700 signatories. This award-winning initiative is considered a ground- breaking mobilisation campaign and historic move by the interfaith sector in South Africa. It is on this basis and much consultation that this Strategy has been developed, This Prevention and Mitigation Strategy is based on national, regional and international policies and strategies including: the National Strategic Plan on GBVF (NSP on GBVF and the Comprehensive National Prevention Strategy (CNPS).

Faith-based Values

Values and principles of life are the building blocks of all faiths. This Strategy is thus built on a strong values foundation, which emerged through listening and conversation during diverse interfaith encounters. This does not negate our differences but acts to bind us together in a common foundation, enables us to imagine a different world and challenges us to recognise that the HOW we do things is as important as the WHY or the WHAT.

Four key problem areas

Four key problem areas to be addressed by this Strategy include:

  • Elements of different religions and beliefs have been shown to hinder GBV prevention and/or response efforts, and even perpetuate GBV through certain interpretations of religious texts and practices of faith- based traditions and
  • While there are many positive aspects of faith-based work being done for GBV mitigation, this work in some (if not many) cases, takes place in isolation and is not integrated into collective This indicates the need for an organised and collective ‘voice’ supported by effective advocacy.
  • Where life-affirming religious discourses or new campaigns exist, or where national or religious leadership articulate new inclusive and liberatory gender norms, these can take time to filter to local level congregations and their leaders (if at all they do).
  • There is a need to strengthen efforts to mainstream more life-giving norms within the faith sector itself and to mainstream the faith sector contribution into the national GBV mitigation

Three Strategic Pathways

Three Strategic Pathways to effectively navigate the challenges and pave the way to achieve outcomes have been developed: Transforming Norms, Movement-Building, and Localising Efforts & Impact. Sustainability Connectors are Coordination, Advocacy, Communication and Sustainability. In essence, the Strategy will do the following: The sustainability connectors serve to accelerate and strengthen the three pathways to achieve faith sector outcomes contributing to the goals of the NSP on GBVF and CNPS.

The Validation process

A validation process is now underway in the different faith communities to shape the final Strategy. You are invited to attend the launch of the first-ever joint Interfaith GBV Prevention and Mitigation Strategy 2024 – 2030.
 
Date:                 Thursday 03 October 2024 from 09:00-16:00
Venue:              Baha’i National Centre, 209 Bellairs Drive North Riding, Johannesburg.
With a hybrid online option:
ZOOM LINK – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89673618261; Meeting ID: 896 7361 8261

In preparation: