TAKING A STAND AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AND FEMICIDE
“Our objective as the GBVF Response Fund is to create a wide network of players from different sectors and organisations to work on the prevention and eradication of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. We see the Fund as a catalyst that amplifies the voices of all players within the sector, while also galvanising the nation to fight the shadow pandemic to COVID-19 and create social cohesion.”
Dr Judy Dlamini, Board Chairperson
South Africa is one of the most unsafe places in the world to be a woman.
This is why we are catalysing a partnership with business, government, and civil society to tackle this scourge head on and help create a South Africa where women, children, and all South African’s can live in safety, free from the fear and the impact of violence and discrimination.
HOW THE FUND WAS BORN
In August 2018 South Africans from all walks of life came together for the Total Shutdown Movement to galvanise action against the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide.
In response, the Presidential Summit on GBVF committed the state to action. The government pledged to establish a national, multi-stakeholder council on GBVF and develop the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on GBVF for a better coordinated and more effective response. The NSP was launched on 30 April 2020.
In early 2021 the IWFSA worked with government, business, and civil society to establish the GBVF Response Fund1 as part of the overall implementation of the NSP.
The Fund is intended as an interim vehicle to catalyse a coordinated response and accelerate action to address gender-based violence and femicide until the Council on GBVF is established.
DONATIONS RECEIVED
We are immensely grateful for the phenomenal support and partnerships we’ve received to help make the country a safer place for all. We couldn’t do it without you!
TOTAL PLEDGES
R162M
R125M CASH PLEDGES
R37M INDIRECT PROGRAMME SUPPORT
TOTAL CASH RECEIVED
R108M (88%)
PLEDGES BREAKDOWN:
67%
CORPORATES AND MULTINATIONALS: R109M (CASH R87M; INDIRECT R22M)
33%
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATIONS:
R53M (CASH R38M; INDIRECT R15M)
0.01%
PUBLIC: R65 000
All amounts as at 28 February 2022
SUPPORT PARTNERS
Beyond financial support, we are privileged to have quality partners who have provided their time and expertise pro bono to support the Fund’s set-up and its continuing operations.
With their support we are able to implement rapidly, yet efficiently, and to the highest level of accountability.
FINANCIAL PARTNERS
(Not a complete list – only donors that have consented to be published.)
“Absa is deeply committed to supporting the women of South Africa. We understand that all women in the country – including our employees, our clients, our customers – are all touched by this silent pandemic, and are all potentially in danger. This is what motivated us to act.”
– Wendy Lucas-Bull, Former Chairperson, Absa
HOW WE WORK
Our strategy is based
on insights gained from extensive research and consultations.
We aim to address existing gaps in the current response, bringing innovation and partnerships to address these challenges, strengthen the overall response, and make a profound and sustainable impact.
The National Strategic Plan on GBVF is a multi-sectoral strategic framework by government and civil society to realise a South Africa free from gender-based violence and femicide.
Our strategy and mandate aligns with the NSP, with a focus on the areas of greatest need and where it can have the biggest impact.
Our first round of end-to-end grant funding focused on Pillars 2 and 3 of the NSP. However, the success of our work as a whole will have a positive impact on all NSP Pillars.
ALIGNING WITH THE NSP ON GBVF
A CATALYST IN THE FIGHT AGAINST GBVF
Since our launch in February 2021 we have mobilised dynamic and novel partnerships. For the first time, we have brought togeter business, civil society and government, raising R162m and igniting the fight against gender-based violence and femicide.
STRENGTHENING THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE
Our research shows that the community response is where we can make the biggest impact against this scourge. However, this i the area where there is the greatest need.
We are therefore resourcing and strengthening the community response by suporting over a hundred community-based organisations, predominantly in under-resourced areas, through our first round of grant partner funding (RFP1).
INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS
We know that the big problems can only be overcome together. This is why we have spent our first year cultivating innovative partnerships to help address two areas critical in the GBVF response:
STRENGTHENING THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE
GRANT PARTNER PROGRAMME
ENSURING ADEQUATE GEOGRAPHICAL, MENTAL HEALTH AND NSP PILLAR REPRESENTATION
It was vital that our community-based support addressed critical gaps in resourcing for under-resourced areas, in mental health, and was fully aligned with our NSP focus areas.
INNOVATIVE PARNERSHIPS
ENSURING A DATA DRIVEN RESPONSE:
GBVF DASHBOARD (PROTOTYPE)
Accurate and timely data on GBVF is critical to ensure the scourge of GBVF can be beaten.
The problem
Data on GBVF in South Africa is scattered across multiple sources and within other reports.
Our solution
In our first year we worked with academics from Wits University to develop a GBVF dashboard which centralises reliable GBVF data from multiple sources and provides additional information and context to users.
The database is currently in the prototype phase.
INNOVATIVE PARNERSHIPS
SCIENCE SERVING JUSTICE:
SAPS FORENSICS INITIATIVEPillar 3 of the NSP for GBVF – Ensuring Justice, Safety, and Protection – is a core strategic focus area for us. Within this area, the severe backlog in DNA testing is a critical area that urgently needs to be addressed.
The problem
A massive backlog in DNA forensic testing is delaying justice for survivors of gender-based violence and femicide.
It is estimated that between 60-80 thousand GBVF cases are delayed or derailed due to the DNA backlog, with court cases being struck off the roll and perpetrators walking away scot-free due to the lack of forensic evidence.
Our solution
We are supporting a partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal Research and Innovation Sequencing Platform (KRISP) laboratory at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the South African Police Service to help rapidly process the backlog and help build capacity within the police services.
To date, we have helped establish a technical working group, facilitated by the office of the President. A memorandum of understanding, budget, and fundraising plan have been drafted for the working group.
GOVERNANCE
We are fully committed to good governance principles, accountability, and complete transparency.
We operate independently, while working closely with our partners to implement our programmes.
We have a range of systems, policies, and procedures dedicated to protecting and using the resources we’ve been entrusted with in the most effective and impactful way possible.
We are grateful to our pro bono support partners who bring an additional layer of oversight and support to our governance and accountability processes.
GBVF RESPONSE FUND1 GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
“At PwC, our support is a demonstration of private sector giving back to organisations who dedicate their time and effort so passionately to the imbalances of human dignity, safety, freedom, and equality. It is our hope that the support we have committed provides the building blocks and cadence toward sound governance, transparency, and accountability – enabling the Fund to execute sustainably on its mandate.”
– Shirley Machaba, Chief Executive Officer, South Africa and Regional Senior Partner, Southern Africa, PwC
SUMMARY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Summary financial statements for the period from date of incorporation on 28 January 2021 to 28 February 2022.
These summarised financial statements are extracted from the audited financial statements, but are not themselves audited.
The full annual financial statements can be accessed here.
WAY FORWARD
In our second year we will continue to focus our efforts and resources to fulfil our mandate and help South Africa address the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide. We will focus our efforts on the following key areas:
CORE FOCUS AREAS
Fundraising remains a key strategic focus and we will intensify our fundraising activities to maximise our catalytic impact to progress our key strategic initiatives so we can have a systemic impact on the fight against GBVF.
We hope to issue another call for proposals in 2022 to support CBOs working in other under-funded pillars of the NSP.
Monitoring and evaluation of the grant-making programme is essential to ensure our grants are implemented and funds utilised in the most cost-effective and impactful way. We will also assess our grant partners’ eligibility for the second-year tranche payment.
STRATEGIC PROJECTS
DNA backlog – Our Forensic Science Advisory Committee is committed to ensuring this strategic partnership achieves its goals.
The GBVF dashboard – We will expand the scope of the GBVF dashboard by facilitating the engagement of data and social scientists who know and understand the GBVF space.
Expanding the footprint of Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCCs) – The 60 TCCs currently active are not enough. Through the generous support of Vodacom, we will be funding the installation of five additional TCC sites in areas of great need.
Digital / Technical prevention solutions for GBVF – Opportunities to investigate the use of accessible scalable digital innovations to prevent and reduce GBVF are underexplored.
We are working to understand the current technical landscape and investigate new digital tools and technologies that can be deployed to scale across the country (including rural areas) at minimum cost to citizens, to curb or prevent GBVF.
Going forward, the Fund will engage with app developers, assisted by a technical advisor, to investigate the most impactful and widely accessible solutions.
