Our Programme In Depth

WOMANKIND’s involvement with South Africa began shortly after the country’s return to majority rule.

Our key focus is on supporting our partnership organisations to promote women’s human and civil rights and urgently address the issue of violence against women and its impact on the spread of HIV/AIDS throughout the country.

South Africa’s legacy of deep racial and rural/urban inequality and poverty impacts significantly on women.? Millions of women face violence, in a variety of forms, on an almost daily basis – impacting on their health, well being and right to determine their own bodily integrity, as well as severely restricting and damaging their ability to participate fully in the decision making process within their families, their communities and their country.?? Such widespread violence also contributes significantly to the spread of HIV/AIDS and further hampers women’s economic and civil contribution to their communities and to South Africa’s development.

Working closely with women’s organisations in both the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces, WOMANKIND helps support a wealth of initiatives which recognise – and address – the many concerns and aspirations of some of South Africa’s most disadvantaged women.

Progress so far

Our programme currently operates with 5 partner organisations located in the Western Cape working at community level to provide practical support, advice and counselling to women who are victims of violence.? In addition, our partnership programmes work with all members of the community – both locally and at policy level - to challenge the often deeply ingrained myths, prejudices and cultural concepts which contribute to violence against women.
Campaigns for safe sex combine with rights-awareness training workshops, as well as vocational skills education to give South African women the information they need to move out of abusive relationships and take a full and more confident part in their communities.?? Many thousands of women have already benefited from such support – vital information which they in turn take back to their families and communities, enabling even more women to benefit.

Our 2 partners in the Eastern Cape work in one of South Africa’s poorest rural areas, providing practical initiatives at community and policy level to effect change for some of the country’s most marginalised women.?? The focus of much of our programme work centres on violence against women – giving counselling and practical aid to women who are suffering – as well as providing advocacy for women’s rights, awareness-training workshops for women and supporting income-generating projects that allow women to contribute to the economy of their families and community.

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