What is The Masiphephe Network?

The Masiphephe Network is a five-year initiative focussed on ending gender-based violence (GBV) in our by strengthening our capacity to lead, coordinate and manage responses to (GBV). The project is funded by USAID and implemented by the Centre for Communication Impact (CCI), FIXED, the GHJRU in partnership with Agisanang Domestic Abuse Prevention and Training (ADAPT), Ethembeni Care Centre, Gugu Dlamini Foundation, Project Support Association Southern Africa (PSASA) and Sonke Gender Justice.

Access information and GBV resources here.

What is the problem?

South Africa has one of the highest levels of GBV in the world, primarily experienced as sexual and domestic violence against women and children. It can be physical, emotional, psychological, or sexual in nature, and can harm women, girls, men and boys.

GBV is hard to fix as it’s perpetuated through a complex cycle that is difficult to break. Unequal attitudes towards gender and masculinity enable high levels of GBV. Historical legacies of apartheid have left many South Africans with poor housing, inadequate child care and fundamentally unsafe communities and transport systems which local governments have been unable or unwilling to fix. We have low levels of prosecution of offenders and support for victims,

For GBV interventions to be successful, each element of the cycle has to be fixed because each contributes to its continued existence. To do this, communities and government departments have to collaborate effectively to make our communities safe and make sure our systems are working.

Our contribution

The Masiphephe Network seeks to strengthen the capacity of South African structures to lead, coordinate and manage district and community-level responses to GBV by enabling collaboration between government departments and civil society organisations and making it easy for members of the communities we are working in to find services, seek help and make an impact.

We are focussing on three areas:

Pathways to Justice

Encourage social norms and behaviour change through effective communication and structured programmes

Community Responses

Empower and support victims of GBV through an integrated referral system

Social and Behaviour Change

Encourage social norms and behaviour change through effective communication and structured programmes.

You can find a resource library of GBV related materials here.

Where we're working:

Gauteng
Alexandra
Diepkloof
Mpumalanga
eMalahleni
Mbombela
Kwa-Zulu Natal
KwaMashu
KwaNdengezi