Callas Foundation runs a GBV Ambassador and First Responders Training programme throughout South Africa.
The success of this project relies on key principles, such as community mobilization, activism, dialogues, lobbying, advocacy, empowerment and capacity-building strategies to empower communities to take a lead in dealing with their own problems, but also to hold the state accountable in meeting its mandate to prevent and eradicate GBV.
This programme aims to ensure improvements to encourage victims’ access to justice and to better safeguard and respond to their physical and psychological health and well-being needs through a series of activities outlined below.
It’s core objectives are to:
– Understand the challenges experienced in accessing justice for women in the community;
– Train women as GBV frontline service-providers
– Strengthen referral pathways to close gaps in ensuring access to justice for survivors.
– Implementation of a five-day training programme for 20 GBV frontline responders
– Liaison with relevant GBV stakeholders and role-players (e.g. police, court officials, social workers, social justice organizations and other stakeholders)
– workers, social justice organizations and other stakeholders)
– Services mapping and development of referral pathways
– Participants evaluation report
Specific Objectives:
– To increase women’s awareness of their legal rights.
– To improve women’s knowledge of the types and extent of gender-based violence and its consequences.
– To empower women with information for responding to gender-based violence.
– To promote women’s participation in community activities as a tool for the promotion of their rights.
– Sensitize the community on GBV, what it is, the effects, and what should be done
Broad objectives are:
– Help reduce cultural, societal, and systemic barriers that limit women’s safety
– To increase opportunities that will create a forum for sharing ideas, experiences and learning about GBV among community members.
– To provide training, in counseling, to community volunteers
– To learn the process for referrals for victims of violence
– To improve advocacy provided to local women who have experienced violence.