Linking Gender-Based Violence Research to Practice in East, Central and Southern Africa: A Review of Risk Factors and Promising Interventions

Abstract

Gender-based violence is a pressing problem not only because it violates human rights but also because it poses a challenge to public health and economic and social development. Although researchers policymakers and program designers in the public health and human rights arenas recognized this fact as early as 20 years ago the field of international development has only seriously acknowledged it within the past decade. Even then efforts have been small isolated under-funded and limited to specific regions or countries that have been graced with proactive feminist leaders and practitioners in the field. In Africa where the issue of gender-based violence has long been a flagship theme for feminist leaders of the region donors have only begun to take it seriously as a development priority in recent years. Gender-based violence in Africa as elsewhere in the world is a complex issue that is influenced by various facets of life community and society. As such the ways to respond to and prevent gender-based violence are just as multi-faceted involving all sectors and members of the community and society. From a public health perspective this report seeks to explain this complexity by summarizing the literature on risk factors and highlighting promising interventions related to gender-based violence in East Central and Southern Africa (ECSA) in order to better inform a strategy on GBV for USAIDs Regional Economic Development Strategy Office (REDSO) and the regional offices of UNICEF UNFPA and UNIFEM. This strategy will guide GBV programming in the region for these agencies. Priority countries identified for this review by USAID and UNICEF include Angola Botswana Burundi Democratic Republic of Congo Djibouti Eritrea Ethiopia Kenya Lesotho Madagascar Malawi Mozambique Namibia Rwanda South Africa Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Uganda Zambia and Zimbabwe. Please note that while the ECSA region as defined here is comprised of 21 countries available data are found primarily in Ethiopia Kenya Rwanda South Africa Tanzania Uganda Zambia and Zimbabwe. Nonetheless it is hoped that with the base of knowledge provided in this report donors will be able to design informed strategies to address gender-based violence in the region. (excerpt)

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