About the Programme
The Foundation for Human Rights seeks to work with civil society organisations to address GBVF in various sites through a programme called ‘Masibambisane’. This programme recognises that GBVF requires community members to work together in order to address this scourge. Masibambisane in isiZulu means unite, holding hands, let’s work together. The programme aims to facilitate participation and empowerment of community stakeholders to take agency in dealing with GBVF through creating GBVF Free Zones.
Brief Background
In 2018 FHR, using SEJA funds, partnered with the Street Law Unit of the University of KwaZulu-Natal and conducted seven multi-provincial workshops covering all nine provinces. The workshops were part of a national programme on Gender Based Violence Capacity Building for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), forensic nurses, doctors, civil society organisations and South African Police Service (SAPS). Following these workshops, FHR embarked upon a project called Masibambisane to develop a whole community model that promotes community agency and ownership, that will lead to a reduction in incidences of GBVF, with the formation of an organized, well-coordinated structure which to prevent and respond appropriately to GBVF.
Objectives
- Main Goal: To use innovative community based models on addressing GBVF by infusing a rights-based approach based on participation, accountability, non-discrimination, empowerment and legislation that protects rights of the vulnerableCreates a platform for government, civil society and other relevant stakeholders to engage in dialogue about pertinent human rights issues;
- Enhance the knowledge base of community structures to be able to effectively address gender based violence and femicide in the community.
- Recruit and Empower community members to advocate and protect those affected by of GBV or those at risk;
- Strengthen reporting and accountability mechanisms in the selected communities by building the capacity of community based organisations and community advice office to monitor reported cases.
- To promote active citizenry notions and agency amongst the vulnerable women and children.
What we want to achieve with the project
- Conduct mapping of safe zones, crime and GBVF hotspots as well as services in your community
- Form community multi-stakeholder structures – e.g. SAPS, local businesses, schools, social workers, clinics, magistrate, etc.
- Recruitment and training of GBVF Monitors
- Form schools human rights clubs
- Training on toolkits, basic counselling and National Strategic Plan on GBVF
- Participation of Masibambisane partners in media related activities such as interviews on radio and/or TV, social media, branding (e.g. billboards, posters, T-shirts) in order to promote and enhance of the visibility of Masibambisane programme in communities
- Record cases of violations and report to the Community Response Team (CRT)
- Continued reflection and action to – reinforce (Monitoring and Evaluation)
