The importance of engaging youth to address GBVF in South Africa
Why this is important...
The youth of South Africa can be easily influenced by their surrounding circumstances, often copying the behaviour that they see in their elders, especially when there is a lack of recreational activities that cater for their age group. Often GBVF is a symptomatic response to issues that are deeply rooted in communities, in families and in the social dynamics in society. To address GBVF, teams understand that it is important to look at these deeply rooted issues and behaviours that can perpetuate GBVF when not addressed. This often leads to teams engaging with youth to address problematic behaviours and set direction for them to become ambassadors and leaders that want to end GBVF in their communities.
Many End GBVF teams worked with youth with different focus areas. The courts invited youth to attend mock trials to gain insight into how GBVF cases are dealt with in court. TVET colleges hosted dialogue circles to encourage men to speak up, establishing a supportive environment to be vulnerable. Drakenstein identified that idle time among youth in their communities often led to problematic behaviour such as substance abuse and engaging in gang-related activities. Their focus was to offer recreational activities such as sporting events to reduce this idle time and channel interest towards activities that promote healthy communication, team work and peer-to-peer support.
Sounds interesting right? Let’s dive more into these stories.
Drakenstein boosts youth engagement in positive recreational activities
In an effort to redirect youth towards positive activities rather than destructive behaviours, the Drakenstein team, based in the Western Cape, committed to their 100-Day Challenge to address the number of GBV incidents by providing a platform for youth to engage in positive recreational activities.
The result: 800 youth participated in positive sporting and recreational activities in the effort to reduce GBV incidents in the community. Younger generations are often subject to the influence of their peers and therefore can end up adopting the behaviours of adults around them, which unfortunately can sometimes be destructive and unhealthy behaviours. Sport and recreational activity can help redirect them to more positive behaviours, encouraging healthy relationships with their peers.
How moot courts increase awareness towards GBVF among youth
In 2023, the Lephalale Regional Court Team partnered with Legal Aid, the Court Administration Team, the Magistrate, and Prosecutor to hold a moot court for Hoerskool Ellisras. The event aimed to educate learners about sexual offences and the minimum sentences associated with each offence. A total of 60 learners from the school attended the event and actively participated in the day’s activities.
One of the main impacts of the event was that scholars had the opportunity to witness how sexual offence cases are conducted and handled within the court. This firsthand experience provided them with a better understanding of the legal process and the consequences offenders face when found guilty of rape.
The moot court sparked their interest, and youth actively participated in the events and asked many questions. Additionally, the learners left the event with words of encouragement and advice on how to respectfully treat women in their community. This not only provided them with valuable knowledge but also empowered them to make a positive difference in their own lives and the lives of others.
Creating safe spaces for vulnerability on TVET campuses
Taletso TVET College has a focus to create safe spaces on the campuses to host GBVF focused dialogue sessions. They specifically wanted to focus on male students to encourage them to speak about their challenges, experiences, trauma and healthy coping mechanisms.
Through many of the conversations in the dialogue sessions, interesting insights came to the surface, particularly the link between mental health and GBV. Male students gained a lot of understanding of the support networks and resources available to them. To sustain these dialogue circles a social worker has been assigned to visit each campus at least once per week.
All the teams that initiated 100-Day Challenges that engaged youth saw the importance of correcting myths about GBV that are currently present in many communities. Youth gained a better understanding on the different types of GBV, from inappropriate locker-room jokes, to bullying, and sexual abuse.