Conference held in Mauritius by SOS Femmes

Sir/Madam,

A conference will be held in Mauritius on the 26th and 27th of November 2001, having as main purpose the launching of a network on violence against women and girls regrouping the SADC countries, including Madagascar and Seychelles.. It will also be during the 16 days of activism against Gender Violence Campaign. On 25th of November, a radio talk will be made concerning the history and aims of the 16 days of activism against gender violence.Here are some information about the conference. There will be 25 delegates from SADC countries, including Madagascar. A regional journalist from Zimbabwe and the local press will cover the event. A play about gender and women's empowerment "Secrets of the Owl", will also de performed on this occasion. Here are some more information concerning the conference. Could you please include this in your newsletter?. Thank You.

Rationale for the Network

African women and girls are victims of various forms of gender-based as well as structural and religious forms of violence. However, for social, religious, traditional and political reasons, this violence has remained hidden and is largely, viewed as a private matter. It is only recently that African women's groups have taken up the issue and are, with great difficulty, making the problem visible. Their struggle against violence towards women is pitted not only against violent men, but a whole complex and entrenched system where religious and traditional values and beliefs condone if not promote violence against women. Moreover, the state institutions in our part of the world do not often take actions or adapt programs to promote women’s rights. Their commitment tends to restrict itself to signing some international treaties… to appear progressive, we would say. Patriarchal and anti-women values remain largely unchallenged!

S.O.S Femmes has, by a very aggressive campaign and lobbying, supported by the media and a very large number of women, over the past eight years, finally been able to obtain the enactment of the Protection from Domestic Violence Act. It is a good piece of legislation for the protection of victims of domestic violence but there is a presently strong so-called pro-family lobby to amend, if not abrogate the law. Once again, it shows how our struggle is always an uphill process-a few steps forward---few steps backwards…

There are only a few battered women's shelters in Africa.Women's security and right to protection and to life are thus pertinent and urgent issues for the African women's movement.

There is also the additional problem of lack of research and data on the issue of violence against women and girls, within the continent. Although there are a few women's umbrella organizations in Africa, S.O.S Femmes believes that they are organized around so many different issues that they cannot develop a sustained and coherent policy against violence against women. The complexity of violence demands a distinct approach, at various levels-theory, provision of services and politically. It has to be analyzed as a distinct and separate issue and its connections with or implications for other issues, such as poverty, housing, family ideology and politics, the legal process, etc. need to be understood, explained, challenged whenever necessary.

On the other hand, as the regional organizations, such as the Southern African Development Community, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) are slowly taking up the issue of violence against women, we need to organize and develop a common platform of demands for implementation by these organizations and plan our lobbying strategies to achieve our aims more effectively.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE NETWORK

To plan and coordinate actions for the elimination of violence against women and girls.
To undertake research and compile information on the various forms of violence against women and girls.
To hold regional conferences, seminars, training programs.
To undertake campaigns in the media and by other means, to raise awareness of the problem as it affects African women and girls.
To lobby national governments and regional organizations for the enactment of laws and the adoption of best practices for the promotion of women's human rights and the criminalization of violence against women and its elimination within families and societies.
To campaign against all literary, artistic, or any other cultural form which encourage or promote violence against women and children.
To publish or contribute towards the publication of books, reports, newspapers on gender issues.
To coordinate campaigns at regional and international levels on violence against women and girls.
To prepare regional reports for the Special Rapporteur on violence against women.
To advocate for a fund, for the African continent, for research on and provision of services for victims and their children.
To set up a pool of experts, academics, journalists, and activists who have knowledge and/or experience on violence against women and children.
To undertake such other cognate duties as may be necessary for the promotion of the aims and objectives of the network.

Sincerely
Cherieanne SAVRIMUTHU-CARTA
Coordinator