2014 Sadc Gender Protocol Summit and Awards

2014 SADC GENDER PROTOCOL SUMMIT AND AWARDS

ENDING GBV AND POST 2015

APPLICATION

Name of good practice

She-Hive association provides survivors of GBV with psychosocial support and legal advice
Name / Mamakhethe
Surname / Phomane
AREA / EVIDENCE
Policy
Law
Letters
Media coverage / Lesotho Television Programme called Mots’eho
Papers presented or written
Brochures
Pamphlets
Others

Synopsis

The objective of SHE-HIVE Association is to engage people who have experienced, or are still undergoing, abuse to speak out about it. The association disseminates information, educates people and helps them share experiences in order to improve the lives of domestic violence survivors. It also campaigns for behavioural change in communities, and especially in families, with a view to eliminating further cases of domestic violence.

Founder member of the association

KEY OBJECTIVES

•  To eliminate all forms of gender based violence by encouraging the community at large to embark on the struggle to eliminate further chances of domestic violence cases.
•  With the support of donors and partners, to establish “stop over” facilities throughout the country, where battered women and children will be provided with psychosocial support and group counselling sessions where women are able to speak out about issues of domestic violence.
•  To encourage dialogue between communities on issues of domestic violence and how it can be eradicated.
•  To have enhanced coordination of services aimed at improving the lives of women and children who are victims of domestic violence.
•  To raise awareness by disseminating information, educating and sharing experiences aimed at improving lives of victims of domestic violence through seminars, workshops, road shows, school competitions and the use of media.
•  To provide psychosocial support and advocacy for the abolition of domestic violence by the use of the slogan “speak out; domestic violence is not private anymore.”
•  To disseminate information, education and share experiences aimed at improving the lives of domestic violence survivors/victims.
•  To campaign for behavioural change in communities and especially among families with the view of eliminating further chances of domestic violence cases.
•  To advocate for the rights of women and children, mainstreaming HIV and AIDS, poverty, orphans and vulnerable children’s issues.
•  To network and collaborate with other stakeholders in the districts to promote the establishment of domestic violence clubs for people who are victims of all sorts of abuse.
•  To engage those members of society who care and support abused women and children in income-generating activities for the alleviation of poverty.

BACKGROUND

The association was formed by women who are survivors, who feel that the justice system in Lesotho is too slow in its implementation of the 28 targets. They feel that it is everyone’s responsibility to act towards the abolition of all forms of gender-based violence.
The goal is to work towards ending all violence against women and children. This involves advocating and lobbying for the empowerment of survivors and victims of domestic violence and those affected by it, providing them with psychosocial support and ensuring that they are able to sustain themselves after the violence. It also involves encouraging society at large to reduce the number of domestic violence cases by at least 50% by the year 2020, through advocacy and lobbying for the use of the slogan “Speak out; domestic violence is not private anymore”.

Founder and Co – Founders On V - Day

KEY ACTIVITIES

• CREATING AWARENESS THROUGH THE USE OF MEDIA
(NEWSPAPERS, RADIO AND TV)
AUGUST – WOMEN’S MONTH
Lesotho joins the rest of the continent in celebrating August as African Women’s month. The commemoration which ranges from general respect, appreciation and love towards women to celebrating their economic, political and social achievement has its roots in South Africa. There August is dedicated to recognising the thousands of women who marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on 9th August 1956 in protest against the extension of pass laws to women. In Lesotho, on the 22nd August 2013, She-Hive Association’s founder, Mamakhethe Phomane, shared her story “I tried to make it work but failed” through a newspaper article (Public Eye). She did this with the aim of encouraging women who are undergoing abuse to use the Association’s slogan “speak out, domestic violence is not private anymore” to bring down incidences of domestic violence.
She also, in collaboration with the Lesotho Television programme Mots’eho, produced a TV programme whereby she again used the “I-story” to motivate women and the community at large to take action toward eliminating cases of domestic violence by using the slogan, “speak out, domestic violence is not private anymore.”
SAfAIDS sponsored She-Hive Association through radio programmes whereby the intention was to encourage men to participate in programmes that work towards the elimination of gender based violence and motivate them to take up their responsibility as protectors of their families.
• CAMPAIGNING FOR BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE BETWEEN COMMUNITIES
16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM
Public Gatherings
·  Candle Light Ceremony and Fun Walk
A fun walk was held on December 6, 2013 at Thaba – Bosiu. In the same manner, a candle light ceremony was held by the association at the Makoanyane Square Park on December 7, 2013. These were aimed at creating awareness, advocating and disseminating information towards the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women, men and children. Thus making a wakeup call to men to take up their positions as protectors and providers and be in the forefront in the fight against gender based violence.
·  Christian Based Organisations
Lesotho Evangelical Church and Faith Mission Church
About 400 women of the Lesotho Evangelical Church and Faith Mission Church were addressed on issues of religion, tradition, norms and culture that contribute towards increasing the number of cases of domestic violence. These issues emanate from the misinterpretation that some religious norms promote gender disparities. These do not only affect adults, but also children, in that they inherit the misconception and carry it forward.
·  V-DAY
She – Hive Association joined the Global Campaign on One Billion Rising for Justice in open discussion. The campaign, which aims to end violence against women and has been going on for the past 15 years, celebrates Victory and Valentine while commemorating those victims who did not survive domestic violence. As a result, the Association found it necessary to take action and join these global celebrations on this day which is celebrated on February 14th every year to understand that violence against women is not a personal problem but connected to other systematic injustices whether economic, racial, patriarchal gender-based or environmental.
Thus, celebrating victory and planning ahead and working together with men to reconceive notions of masculinity and manhood opposing violence against women.
·  MONTHLY CIRCLES
These are the monthly meetings of members who are survivors of domestic violence. In these meetings participants share their stories with the aim of healing and assisting those still going through violence with coping techniques and mechanisms. Social workers and a legal advisor from the office participate and give advice where necessary.
·  DAILY COUNSELING, PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT AND LEGAL ADVICE
From the community awareness activities, people come to the office seeking our services and we provide them with counseling and legal advice. Where cases need special attention, referrals are made. For example, cases concerning drug abuse are referred to the Anti-Drug Association of Lesotho and if it is of unplanned parenthood, we refer them to Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association for intervention.
• HUMAN RIGHTS STUDY CLUBS AT SCHOOLS
The association has embarked on a project in schools to identify and assist children who have experienced domestic violence from their families. This is because it is apparent that we have many incidences of domestic violence and/or gender based violence due to the fact that children grow up in abusive families and as a result exhibit abusive behavior when they grow up. This project helps identify domestic violence and deal with it at grassroots level with the aim of having a violence free generation. In this manner, the association provides counseling to those children who are prone to domestic violence. Thus the psycho-social support will extend to their respective families where the need arises. This was done by way of submitting questionnaires to students in order to determine those who are experiencing, or have experienced, domestic violence in their families. Hence the slogan...“From Peace in the home….to Peace in World”. It is also evident that the school performance of those children exposed to domestic violence is relatively low.
·  HUMAN RIGHT CLUBS – COMMUNITY
Stakeholders and other service providers with a common goal of alleviating domestic violence came together in the district of Maseru to form a Technical Working Group with the intention of formulating human rights clubs in the urban communities. The clubs are comprised of survivors and victims of domestic violence, and any other person, organisation or company who subscribes to the objective of HIVE, and wants to contribute towards the fight against domestic violence. The TWG’s mandate is to disseminate information about the formation of clubs to the villages, by conducting public gatherings in the communities. The involvement of chiefs, local government personnel and gender officers is utilised. The clubs are encouraged to have plans for their monthly meetings and monthly reports as a means of follow-up. The intention is to extend the project to all ten districts of the country.
• COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
In collaboration with the Ministry of Forestry and Land Reclamation, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and Ministry of Gender, Youth, Sport and Recreation, a village in the foothills of Qeme – Ha-Ramorakene established a society with the aim of embarking on income generating projects. These are intended to alleviate poverty which leads to cases of domestic violence, HIV and AIDS, orphans, vulnerable children and crime. The village chief allocated land where the society is working on establishing an orchard, nursery, bee keeping and vegetable fields. They also intend to use water from the river that runs across the village for watering and for fishing.
The members of the society are people residing in the village, of whom most are not employed. These projects will also help in job creation.

PARTNERSHIPS AND COALITION BUILDING

Yes, the campaign has fostered partnerships locally, regionaly and globally
Ministry of Education and Training
She-Hive Association, in partnership with Ministry of Education and Training, is undertaking a project in schools to identify and assist children who have experienced domestic violence from their families and is formulating Human Rights Study Clubs.
MenEngage Network
She-Hive Association and Sesotho Media and Development entered into an agreement to form a network of organisations under the renowned global MenEngage Programme. MenEngage Lesotho Programme will use its different skills sets to intensify awareness on sexual and reproductive health and promote positive masculinities that will be supportive of women to improve the maternal health of Basotho women.
Ministry of Gender, Sports and Recreation
With the aim of achieving one of its objectives of having a stop over facility, She-Hive Association partnered with Ministry of Gender in utilising the facility available within the Ministry. The Ministry also provides capacity building to members of She-Hive. It has also assisted the Hive by providing it with personnel (volunteers) from the National Volunteer Corps project within the Ministry assisted by UNDP.
Khotsong Skills and Training Centre
She-Hive Association entered into a partnership with Khotsong Skills and Training Centre (KSTC) whereby the two organisations agreed to improve lives and create awareness about the laws that affect women, men, children and people living with HIV and AIDS.
Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association
She–Hive and LPPA work together to attain good health which involves sexual reproductive health and psychosocial health. In this regard, LPPA refers to us their clients who need psychosocial support emanating from any matters that arise in their families. In the same manner She–Hive refers its clients to LPPA.
Effective Counseling Services
Effective Counseling Services (ECS) and She-Hive Association partnered with the aim of reducing cases of domestic violence for She-Hive members who need special marriage counseling as ECS specialise on pre-marital and marriage counseling.
Pholo and Partners Consultants (PAPCO)
She-Hive source PAPCO on all matters that are of a consultancy nature, some legal matters and capacity building for its members and the staff on matters related to strengthening the coordination and the proper implementation of programmes.
Module on capacity building:
·  Effective and efficient implementing and monitoring of programmes;
·  Legal representation and capacity building of the She Hive legal department; and
·  Support by representation on some matters of gender based violence, either locally or internationally.
CRROA
Crime Prevention and Re-integration of Ex-Offenders Association (CRROA) is the association of ex-offenders who served long term sentences in prison for different offences. It was established in response to the problems and challenges that the inmates and ex-prisoners face, either in prison or after release. It caters for both males and females.
She-Hive and CRROA are eager and willing to collaborate around their members whose cases resulted from domestic violence.
Ex-Mine Workers Association
She-Hive and Ex-Miners Association are eager and willing to collaborate and empower families of ex-miners affected by domestic violence emanating from the stress of unemployment by providing them with psycho-social support and education regarding GBV. The aim is to curb the rate of domestic violence in families, which seems to be a great challenge in families of retrenched and retired mine workers as they are faced with long term unemployment.
Evidence (MOUs)
As per above partnerships

RESOURCE ALLOCATIONS

Amount local currency
(specify) / Amount in Rand
Gender specific allocation
Gender mainstreaming projects
Amount contributed in cash or in kind by partner organizations / In Kind: M 190, 000.00 / M 190, 000.00
Total / M 195, 500.00 / M 195, 500.00

Beneficiaries (in numbers)

Category / Women / Men / Total / % Women
Direct beneficiaries e.g. number of parliamentarians trained / 5 / 3 / 8 / 63%
Indirect beneficiaries (e.g. through other networks) / 375 / 225 / 600 / 63%
Online beneficiaries (e.g. website access, mailing lists, scholarly articles) / 10 / 2 / 12 / 83%
Total / 70%

CHALLENGES