A partnership with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Gender-based violence (GBV) continues to affect millions of women, children, and families across Southern Africa. While most Member States have prioritised GBV in national strategies, prevention efforts often remain underdeveloped. To address this, the SADC Secretariat, with support from GIZ through the Partnership for Prevention (PfP), launched a regional initiative to strengthen prevention capacity.
Our Partnership with SADC
The SADC GBV Prevention Handbook was developed and launched in 2022, with dissemination beginning soon after. From 2024 to mid-2025, with support from GIZ through PfP, we worked directly with Member State representatives through a regional capacity-strengthening programme. This phase built on the Handbook’s launch by equipping policymakers and practitioners with the knowledge, skills, and peer learning needed to advance evidence-based prevention.
Building the Foundations
Through a regional capacity assessment, a webinar, three virtual learning sessions, and a four-day workshop in Johannesburg, focal points from 15 countries:
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Built a shared understanding of GBV prevention concepts and principles
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Explored what works and what does not in prevention programming
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Reviewed regional case studies and examples from the SADC GBV Prevention Handbook
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Strengthened peer exchange and collaboration across Member States
By the end of this process, participants had deepened their understanding of prevention and recognised the need for a regional training package and a pool of trainers to sustain and expand the work.
Looking Ahead
The next phase will focus on scaling up. Plans include expanding training rounds to reach more practitioners and policymakers, developing a structured training package with facilitator guides and tools, supporting Member States to finalise and implement action plans, and creating platforms for continued peer learning across borders. Together, these efforts will help embed prevention into systems and ensure that GBV is not only addressed after the fact but meaningfully prevented across the SADC region.
