Shaping Global Conversations on Ending Violence Against Women
In October 2024, Cape Town’s International Convention Centre buzzed with life as researchers, practitioners, and activists from across the globe gathered for the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) Forum. Women Unlimited Eswatini was thrilled to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with world leaders in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV).
We joined the forum together with our partner, Bantwana Initiative Eswatini under Litsemba Rising (Campus Sexual Harassment Intervention) supported by the UK Aid Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through the What Works II programme.
A Melting Pot of Innovation and Bold Ideas
For five days, the forum became a melting pot of innovation, evidence, and bold ideas. Together, we explored how technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) threatens young people, to learning how survivor-led initiatives can reshape policies. We brought back invaluable lessons to strengthen grassroots interventions.
From Knowledge to Practice
One highlight was the session led by Tarana Burke, founder of the “Me Too” movement, reminding delegates that survivors must remain at the heart of interventions. This resonated deeply with Women Unlimited’s own mission to ensure survivors’ voices inform every program and policy.
The forum also revealed practical pathways for tackling violence including integrating survivors into program design and using practice-based learning (PBL) methods that can turn lived experiences into powerful advocacy tools.
“We realized we already practice much of this knowledge at community level; now the challenge is scaling it,” one participant reflected.
Beyond theory, the SVRI Forum showcased tangible success stories such as women’s collectives reshaping village governance to nationwide fatherhood programs reducing intimate partner violence. These examples reinforced that change is possible when communities lead.
Lessons for Eswatini
For Eswatini, the SVRI Forum provided more than just inspiration; it offered concrete practices that can be adapted to local realities. Key lessons included the importance of survivor-centred approaches, the need to build the capacity of frontline workers such as health providers, and the value of integrating digital tools to safeguard young people in an increasingly digital world. The forum also underscored how global innovations can be replicated, but only if tailored to the cultural and institutional context in which they are applied.
Eswatini does not need to reinvent the wheel. What is needed is a deliberate effort to adapt global best practices into homegrown solutions that reflect the lived experiences of students, and communities.
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