World Day of Social Justice By Jessie Taylor
Sonke Gender Justice Building an equal world
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orking towards ensuring gender rights, the non-profit organisation Sonke Gender Justice has been championing equality and empowerment for 16 years in South Africa and on the continent. Through various programmes and outreaches, the organisation aims to empower women, men, and children to resist patriarchy, advocate for gender justice and achieve gender transformation. Sonke aims to build the capacity of government, civil society organisations and citizens with a human rights framework, to achieve gender equality, prevent gender-based violence and reduce the spread of HIV and the impact of AIDS.
Sonke believes that its gender transformational work must: • Promote the rights of women and girls and link to efforts to empower them • Enhance the lives of boys and men and help them to see the benefits of transforming gender norms • Show the effects of gender norms and inequalities on men and women • Explore ways to transform gender relations by engaging both women and men • Address structural and social determinants of gender inequality, income inequality and the unequal division of labour To do this work, Sonke runs a number of programmes to address various issues facing our society.
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Among its focus areas are fighting gender-based violence, reducing the spread of HIV, protecting children’s rights and promoting the rights of migrants and refugees. Fighting gender-based violence Sonke has been a strong advocate for the national strategic plan on gender-based violence and femicide, the government’s comprehensive response to reduce violence against women. It includes strengthening the justice system. Under the plan, the government has proposed the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill of 2022. The bill repeals the Sexual Offences Act (previously Immorality Act), and Section 11 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related