From Resolution to Action: KZN Province Summit Report-Back Conference

On the eve of 16 Days of Activism, We Will Speak Out SA (WWSOSA) and KZN Network on Violence Against Women (KZNVAW) hosted a report-back Conference on the National GBVF Summit in Durban.

In the build-up to the Presidential Summit on GBVF2 held on 1-2 November, the Office of the KZN Premier held district dialogues which culminated in the KZN Provincial Summit. Here, delegates outlined provincial priorities to respond to and prevent gender-based violence and femicide in the province and these were taken forward to the Presidential Summit.

The aim of the 16-Days Conference was to assess both the Provincial and Presidential Summit priority areas and outcomes, and to work towards clear action plans for the first quarter of 2023 in line with the 6 pillars of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF. These include: Accountability, Coordination and Leadership, Prevention and Rebuilding Social Cohesion, Protection, Safety and Justice, Response, Care, Support and Healing, Economic Power, and Research and Information Systems.

A key highlight was a review and sharing of key lessons learnt from the joint WWSOSA-KZNVAW project that piloted the first four local Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) in the country, as well as the pilots of two innovative visual approaches to establishing Violence-Free Zones in key hotspot neighbourhoods. The RRTs comprise stakeholders from civil society, the faith sector, local government and support services. These RRTs work at community level to respond to GBV, support survivors, prevent secondary victimisation and ensure justice.

WWSOSA and the KZN Network handed over the Rapid Response Team model to the eThekwini municipality to take forward for sustainability in communities. The Municipality expressed a clear commitment to ensure that the current RRTs are adequately supported and both the Province and eThekwini pledged that the model would be extended into other areas.

Watch this space for the follow-up KZN Pillar planning meetings in January!