Legal Aid for Victims of Domestic Violence in SA

A key pillar of Lawyers against Abuse (LvA) work is empowering the communities where we work by raising awareness around gender-based violence (GBV) and legal rights and remedies in cases of GBV so that victims and survivours can have meaningful access to justice and are able to hold government officials accountable for their obligations under the law. 

In 2023, LvA implemented a project where 44 women from the Diepsloot community, divided into three cohorts, were empowered and equipped to be social change agents within their own community. The women began by completing a four-day workshop series which explored the systemic, political and psychological aspects of GBV and the ways in which these intersect; and the legal rights and remedies available to GBV victims. On the final day of the workshop series, participants were guided through a series of exercises that allowed them to reflect on their past experiences, the knowledge they have gained from the workshop series and how they plan to move forward. Graduates from each workshop series were then invited to establish a community action group where they could be further capacitated to become agents of change within their community in the area of GBV. LvA facilitated six capacity-building sessions with each action group on the following topics: the practical aspects of community mobilisation, project planning, effective intervention design, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, conflict resolution and self-care. Empowered by the knowledge and skills acquired during the initial workshop series and subsequent six capacity-building sessions, each community action group then conceptualised, planned and executed an outreach initiative in the Diepsloot community, reaching a total of 885 community members.

Among the key results achieved through the intervention, participants exhibited improved knowledge of the systemic, political and psychological aspects of GBV, as evidenced by their engagement in workshop discussions and their ability to recognize and confront power dynamics contributing to their vulnerability. In addition, participants were able to unpack harmful gender norms and stereotypes and ways in which they contribute to the prevalence of GBV in communities. Notably, participants identified that these gender norms and stereotypes are not static and can be challenged, as they are societal constructs that are being upheld by systems and individuals such as religion, culture and patriarchy. Another key achievement is that participants reported learning the basics of project management, including how to identify a target audience and different monitoring and evaluation techniques, which can be applied to future initiatives beyond the scope of this project. Participants also reported a sense of confidence in their ability to assist GBV victims in the future based on what they had learned during the intervention. Lastly, the outreach events planned by the action groups were effective in reaching a wide range of Diepsloot community members on important GBV-related topics and raising awareness of LvA’s services. There also appears to have been a multiplier effect as some community members took pictures of the LvA flyer to share in WhatsApp groups they were a part of, while other community members said that they would share information about LvA’s services with neighbours, friends or family members who were experiencing abuse.

LvA staff have been encouraged by the commitment and ownership demonstrated by project beneficiaries both throughout the project and after its completion. Participants’ consistent attendance, active engagement and thoughtful contributions during both the workshop series and capacity-building sessions demonstrated a profound commitment to the learning process and intervention as a whole. Following the project's completion, some participants expressed a strong desire to collaborate with LvA on future awareness campaigns and even proposed conducting independent GBV outreach initiatives across Diepsloot, indicating a successful transfer of skills and knowledge for sustained community impact. Lastly, we have seen how the participants have become active agents of change in their community as they share information about LvAs’ services to neighbours and friends. One participant even accompanied another community member to LvA’s Centre for assistance with a protection order application. 

We are excited to see the impact that these women will continue to have in their community as they take a stand against GBV and support those around them in getting the assistance they need. 

Links:

• Check out our website to learn more!

When Amahle* was 16-years-old, her step-father starting sexually abusing her. He threatened that if she ever told anyone, he would hurt her and/or send her away. The abuse went on for several months until her mother, Lerato*, discovered explicit photos on Amahle’s phone that her step-father had demanded she send to him. Lerato opened a criminal case and the perpetrator was arrested. Shortly thereafter, the investigating officer assigned to the case, a member of the FCS Unit with whom LvA has a strong relationship, referred Amahle to LvA for support. Over the next 10 months, LvA’s legal team provided ongoing support to Amahle and Lerato including following up with the investigating officer and assigned prosecutor for case updates on an ongoing basis. Although bail had been denied, the perpetrator continued to harass Amahle and Lerato from jail telephonically, pressuring them to drop the case. LvA’s legal team made sure that the investigating officer and prosecutor were kept informed of all communications from the perpetrator. Despite fears for their safety and pressure from other family members to withdraw the case, Amahle and Lerato persevered in their pursuit of justice.

At the same time, LvA’s drama therapist began seeing Amahle for individual sessions. When Amahle first started her therapy sessions, she was struggling with feelings of shame and guilt and was blaming herself for what had happened. She was also feeling anxious and worried about the financial ramifications for her family as the perpetrator had been the breadwinner. To address these feelings, Amahle’s sessions have focused on mindfulness practice to help her to be present in the moment and not anxious for the future. In addition, her sessions have focused on internalising a sense of both physical and psychological safety, in order to build the foundation for her to engage with her trauma more directly. Over time, Amahle has been able to let go of the shame and the guilt she had experienced and is less anxious for the future.

In a parallel process, an LvA social worker provided individual support sessions for Lerato. While the initial sessions focused on addressing Lerato’s feelings of betrayal, shame and guilt for what had happened to her daughter, Lerato later bravely shared about sexual abuse that she herself had endured in her childhood. With this disclosure, LvA’s social worker was able to help Lerato work through how her daughter’s abuse had triggered her own unresolved trauma. Lerato also attended LvA’s psychoeducational workshop series and group sessions for primary caregivers. Through these interventions, Lerato was empowered to better understand the impact of trauma on her daughter’s life and how she could best support her. In addition, these spaces provided Lerato with an opportunity to engage with other caregivers in similar situations which further helped Lerato address her feelings of shame and guilt and helped to create a network of support outside of LvA.

In 2023, the perpetrator pled guilty and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. When asked how she felt about her step-father sentence, Amahle said that she was relieved that he was going away and hoped that he could get the help that he needed so that he wouldn’t hurt her anymore. Amahle and Lerato continue to receive support from LvA and are excited for what the future holds. 

Lawyers against Abuse is a non-profit organisation that works to ensure that victims of gender-based violence (GBV) have meaningful access to justice by providing legal services and psychosocial support, empowering communities and engaging state actors. Since 2014, LvA has provided critical support over 2,300 women and children who have experienced abuse.

Links:

• Check out our website to learn more!