Research

Early in the epidemic, HIV infection and AIDS were diagnosed for relatively few women and female adolescents (although we know now that many women were infected with HIV through injection drug use but that their infections were not diagnosed).  Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. Women of colour are especially affected by HIV infection and AIDS.

Appropriate legislation to give effect to and reinforce the aforementioned international and national initiatives is of critical importance. It is clear that the law cannot be employed as a panacea for the ills of a complex social phenomenon such as domestic violence. However, when victims of domestic abuse do turn to the law for protection, the law should be effective and efficient in its response. Having regard to the Constitution of South Africa and the international commitments and obligations of the State towards ending violence against women and children, victims of domestic violence should be afforded the maximum protection by ensuring that the substance and procedures of domestic violence legislation are well tailored to the needs of those suffering abuse in a domestic context.

We are pleased to present this report on women in power in the hemisphere.  Women in Latin America and the Caribbean are making tremendous strides towards achieving political leadership.  In 2000, the Inter-American Dialogue and the Inter-American Development Bank partnered to host a dialogue of women political leaders.  The report from that meeting concluded that in Latin America and the Caribbean, "the highest circles of power still remain largely male dominated".

This paper describes initiatives in Ghana to promote the participation of women in local governance and the role of European support. Local governance is interpreted as the active involvement of the local population within the territorial boundaries of a local government in ensuring improved quality of service and leadership at the local [government] level. It includes greater participation by civil society in decision-making processes and involves consensus-building and civic awareness. In view of this, the paper focuses on efforts to increase women's participation as councilors and as well as initiatives to enhance the involvement of women and women groups in decision-making, requiring accountability and accessing support from local governments. It also presents interventions promoted through local governments to reduce poverty and promote socio-economic development targeted at women and seeking to bridge gender gaps and the European support in these efforts. Beyond this general support, it also looks at the work of the Institute of Local Government Studies in this area and European involvement in this capacity-building and coordinating institution.

Women are not among the major users of existing governance indicators, primarily because the indicators are gender blind and not relevant to women's needs.  Exceptions are the indicator on women's participation in parliaments maintained by the International Parliament Union, and the IDEA International database on electoral quotas for women.  Both have been widely and actively used by women parliamentarians and women's political groups to support lobbying and advocacy to increase women's participation in national parliaments, often through the use of electoral quotas.

This study - conducted with adolescent girls between the ages 13 - 17 - suggests that efforts to address gender based violence against girls are not a priority. Findings from 17 focus group discussions with adolescent girls at nine Gauteng schools suggest that minimal to no intervention efforts are underway at schools or in communities; participants appeared frustrated and despondent at the lack of services available to them. This lack of services is startling in light of findings from this study which highlights a disturbing prevalence of sexual harassment at school as well as an alarmingly high incidence of physical and sexual violence in the lives of adolescent girls.

While some studies have investigated aspects of the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act (DVA), there has been little documented exploration of the interaction between culture and tradition and women's recourse to the DVA. Certainly there are studies examining community perceptions of domestic violence but these have not explored how relationship status also mediates the nature of assistance available to women seeking help with domestic violence. These are important key omissions, that this study attempts to address. It explores how, in one district, men and women are embedded in a range of community beliefs and practices that shape not only responses to domestic violence, but also the nature of assistance provided. This context not only affects when, how and which women use the Act, but also highlights how a variety of institutions mediate women's access to the criminal justice system.

Do women's previous experiences of violence or abuse play a role in their unlawful acts? What conditions exist in women's prisons, and do incarcerated women's experiences of violence create violent women's prisons? This research brief presents findings from a study conducted in three women's prisons in Gauteng, South Africa, exploring these two questions. It briefly describes the nature and extent of violence experienced by women and girls in conflict with the law, both prior to as well as during incarceration; and the relationship between such experiences of violence and the commission of unlawful acts. Both sets of questions are important for the prevention of women's offending, as well as the informed sentencing and management of female offenders.

This report discusses the trends and patterns of funding for organisations in South Africa that
address gender-based violence. This report is the result of the efforts of a number of people. Julia
Kuhn wrote the literature review, analysed the data from twenty-nine CSO questionnaires and
twelve CSO interviews and wrote up these findings, and conducted seven interviews with donors.
Debbie Budlender of Community Agency for Social Enquiry analysed the data from twelve
interviews with donors and wrote up these findings. The recommendations were compiled by Julia
Kuhn and the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation.

This report, By Human Rights Watch, briefly examines policy initiatives and the proposals for reform that have been made by the new government in its review of health services. The reform proposals aim to rectify some of the most glaring problems with the current medico-legal system, including problems of access, but they also risk placing too heavy an emphasis on accessibility at the expense of providing a high-quality service in this very technical area. Within the constraints placed by the many demands on the government's budget for reconstruction and development, the aim must be to raise the standards of the services currently offered, as well as to extend that service to all parts of the population.