Traditional Leaders Response to Sexual & Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in Kwa - Zulu Natal, North West and Limpopo Provinces, South Africa 21st July 2010 Ms Mantshi Teffo- Menziwa, Dr Saiqa Mullick Population Council

Context SGBV is a violation of human rights of women and girls SGBV is well documented as a key driver of the HIV epidemic for women Women who have experienced Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) are more likely to have HIV Girls exposed to abuse in childhood are more likely to be physically and sexually abused as adults Rape impacts the mental health of rape survivors increasing their long term risk of HIV Men who rape are twice as likely to have HIV and other HIV risk behavior(Jewkes et al, 2008) Culture is often given as an excuse for perpetuating gender norms

South African context South Africa has the highest SGBV figures in the world A woman is killed every six hours by a husband or boyfriend One in five women report experiencing IPV Women experiencing IPV are more likely to have HIV (Dunkle, 2004) Rapes reported to the police between 2005 and 2006 (SAPS): Four out of ten rape cases are children - 15% of those are under 12 years (Jewkes et al; 2008) Men report being raped by another man: 10%

Many challenges exist Insufficient coordination Lack of a cross sectoral approach Limited engagement with civil society particularly traditional sector Need to strengthen capacity in all sectors

National House of Traditional Leaders Established in 2008 Recognized as key partners in the implementation of the South African National HIV and AIDS strategic plan Comprised of three senior traditional leaders elected by each provincial house in the 9 provinces Working Committees: Gender, Youth, Children, Aged and people living with Disability and Social Development

Traditional Leaders have influence Recognized by government of South Africa Advise government on traditional affairs and influence policy making Communities recognize their authority Preside over customary law courts that exercise legislative power in communities Reach large numbers of community members through community dialogues known as “imbizo or lekgotla”

Objectives To explore understanding and perception of SGBV among Traditional Leaders To increase understanding and knowledge of TLs on SGBV through capacity building sessions

Site and participant selection Three provinces with high HIV prevalence Influential Traditional Leadership Established relationship with the provincial department of health Population Council partnered with an NGO with experience and access to the Traditional Leadership

Kwa-Zulu Natal: Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi Chairperson of the House North West: Kgosi Moshe Ezekiel Mabe Our motto: "Thebe Ya Setso" Literally translated, this means "shield of the culture" referring to the NWPHTL as the custodians of the culture and tradition of its communities.

Focus Group Discussions Three FGDs with 35 TL provincial groups ( per group) using a structured focus group discussion guide Three two-day interactive workshops conducted with 126 Traditional Leaders from Kwa-Zulu Natal, Limpopo and North West Provinces

Data analysis Detailed notes were taken and tape-recorded during the focus group discussions and workshops Content analysis

Results Traditional courts are not given an opportunity to deal with SGBV due to poor reporting and lack of opportunity to implement their mandate TLs are unsure of their powers and how they intersect with other sectors Documentation is poor at the Traditional courts

Results TLs want and need further training on sexual and reproductive health issues including SGBV Misconceptions and myths on health and SGBV need to be clarified “An unborn baby feeds on the father’s sperm” (Female TL North West province) TLs were not aware of available services and support Community members and survivors are not aware of their rights

Results Patriarchy in the Traditional Leadership is still a predominant way of looking at the world Female TLs seem to have less power compared to the male TLs The youth exclude themselves from traditional activities

Results Traditional Leadership supported the initiative to being capacitated as catalysts to demystify the patriarchal environment on SGBV “I believe that what is happening is a good thing. Population Council and Ubuntu together with Hlokomela teach us how we should address this issue of gender based violence. As a woman I am proud to be seen as a key role player in the fight against this bad thing. I will go back to my village and my school and teach my people that this thing of domestic violence is bad and not good for us. I will help my people to understand how to address these issues’ (Female Traditional Leader, Limpopo).

Conclusion and Recommendations Strengthening traditional court systems that deal with SGBV at a community level Linking TLs with the justice system, police, health, farming community and improving their monitoring and SGBV programming quality Need for strengthened relationship with local government, department of health and justice Support on the recognition of role of TLs as described in the White Paper on traditional leadership and the Framework Act regarding Safety and Security

Conclusion and Recommendations Capacity building on SGBV to complement the National House of Traditional Leaders (NHTL) sessions Enlisting the support of female TLs on SGBV prevention and support for young girls, Documenting best practices Improved access to information (IEC) to the community Continued advocacy to drive social mobilization initiatives

Acknowledgements Traditional Leaders in KZN, NW and LP Department of Health Ubuntu Institute Hlokomela Training Trust USAID (PEPFAR) South Africa