| ISBN | 9780620707602 |
| Pages | 120 |
| Dimensions | 254 x 203 |
| Illustrations | Colour Illustrations and Colour Photographs |
| Published | 2016 |
| Publisher | Gender Links, South Africa |
| Format | Paperback |
Empowering Women - Ending Violence in Southern Africa
The GL Funding for Leadership and Opportunities for Women
edited by Colleen Lowe Morna, Anne Hilton
Gender Links' Violence Against Women Baseline Studies show that one in three women in Southern Africa have experienced gender violence in their lifetime. The highest percentage of such violence is the kind least reported to police - psychological, verbal, economic and emotional abuse. For many years GL documented these harrowing firsthand accounts through its "I" stories series. In 2012, with the support of the Netherland government's Funding Leadership Opportunities for Women (FLOW) fund, GL piloted a unique model to assist 1500 survivors of gender violence to reclaim their lives through entrepreneurship training linked to the GBV and local economic development plans of Centres of Excellence for Gender in Local Government. In September 2015 GL conducted an extensive review of the project to find out what had changed and how best to move forward. Drawing on data from the Gender Empowerment Index (GEI) administered at the beginning and end of the project, as well as first-hand accounts and interviews, GL found both a marked improvement in the financial circumstances of the women, and in their personal agency. The review also led to several recommendations on how the model can be strengthened in the next phase, as part of GL's vision of ending violence, community by community, by 2030 - the deadline for the new Sustainable Development Goals.
About the Editor
Colleen Lowe Morna (South Africa) is CEO of Gender Links. A South African born in Zimbabwe, Colleen began her career as a journalist specialising in economic and development reporting including as Africa Editor of the New Delhi-based Women's Feature Service. She joined the Commonwealth Secretariat as a senior researcher on the Africa desk in 1991, and later served as Chief Programme Officer of the Commonwealth Observer Mission to South Africa. Colleen subsequently served as founding CEO of the South African Commission on Gender Equality. A trainer, researcher and writer, Colleen has written extensively on gender issues in Southern Africa. She holds a BA degree in International Relations from Princeton University; Masters in Journalism from Columbia University and certificate in executive management from the London Business School. She has received awards from the Woodrow Wilson School of International Relations; the News women's Club of New York and the Mail and Guardian newspaper in South Africa. In 2007, South Africa's Media Magazine named Colleen runner up in the Media Woman of the Year Award. In 2013, CEO magazine named Colleen the “most influential woman” in South Africa and Africa as a whole in the civil society category. A year later the University of Johannesburg awarded Colleen honorary membership of the Golden Key Association that recognises excellence in academia and public service. Colleen has served as editor-in-chief of all nine Barometers.