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ALT Advisory launches new regional information portal on GBV laws and policy in Southern Africa

Today ALT Advisory launched endgbv.africa, a new web resource that maps out the steps taken by different African states to protect those affected by gender-based violence (GBV) during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

The site unpacks anti-GBV law and policy in five Southern African countries: Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The aim is to expand the research to include information on all countries on the continent in accessible language for gender activists, civil society actors, and survivors.

Building on existing efforts by researchers and activists in the region, this resource aims to bring together for the first time a holistic overview of policies relating to gender-based violence in Southern Africa, and offers important insight into the policy gaps for those experiencing GBV in the region.

The research behind the portal has identified a range of issues in GBV policy across the countries surveyed, including:

  • Limited state action to protect survivors under the imposition of COVID-19 movement restrictions;
  • A lack of law and policy to address online forms of gender-based violence (OGBV); and
  • Insufficient or inconsistent data on the prevalence of GBV under the pandemic.

ALT Advisory, a group of lawyers, researchers and technologists working on information rights both on and offline, aims to continue to develop endgbv.africa and extend its focus to other countries in the region.

ALT Advisory associate S’lindile Khumalo, who led development of the portal, said: “Addressing the gap in protections for those affected by gender-based violence is an urgent problem, that goes beyond national borders. Our goal with this portal is to bring together the necessary information to empower researchers and policy-makers in the region, and those affected by GBV who want to understand what protections they have.”

For media queries, please contact: [email protected] or +27 (0)10 822 7860

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