April 2, 2009

South African and American Government Partnership
Strengthens Justice for South African Women

 The Women's Justice and Empowerment Initiative (WJEI) is supported and funded by the U.S. government to help advance South Africa’s (SA) response to gender-based violence.  The program improves the availability of comprehensive services for rape and sexual assault survivors. 

Women and children who have endured such violence can access help quickly from trained and compassionate staff at Thuthuzela (“be comforted”) Care Centres (TCCs), located in ten sites across the country to give survivors emergency medical care, counseling, forensic testing and court-preparation in a victim-friendly manner.  The WJEI Initiative concurrently strengthens SA’s ability to prosecute offenders, enabling victims to access justice efficiently and effectively.

The victim support component of the WJEI in South Africa is a three-year, US$11.7 million program, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  It provides support to the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs (SOCA) unit of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and is implemented by RTI International.

The multi-disciplinary Thuthuzela care facilities address high levels of sexual violence against women and children, specifically rape. Launched in 2001 in Mannenberg as part of South Africa’s anti-rape strategy, TCCs seek to improve the process of reporting and prosecution of rape and other sexual offences in a dignified and caring environment.  The TCCs are showing tremendous potential and progress as a pioneering effort to better protect the rights of women and children by giving vital and prompt assistance to victims of sexual violence and abuse through an intersectoral approach.

USAID assistance will help promote the South African government's program to upgrade and expand the one-stop Thuthuzela Care Centre network.  USAID’s Southern Africa Director, Dr. Carleene Dei, said, “USAID has tremendous confidence in this program and, above all, in our partners.  The Thuthuzela Care Centre is a “best practice’ model, with proven capacity to turn ‘victims into survivors’.  We welcome the opportunity to support the scale-up of this exciting South African initiative.” 

The WJEI involves working in strategic partnerships with the South African government and civil society to achieve four key objectives:

* Upgrade and expand the TCC network
* Improve care and treatment for survivors of sexual assault
* Award targeted grants to medical, legal, and psycho-social service providers for follow-on care to survivors
* Strengthen the SOCA management and communication systems for TCC sustainability

Together, with new sites established this year with USAID support and funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the WJEI will effectively quadruple the number of TCCs nationally, while upgrading facilities and strengthening services at existing sites. 

The U.S.$55 million WJEI program, funded by the U.S. government, assists African countries such as South Africa, Zambia, Kenya and Benin to safeguard rights and provide protection to victims of sexual violence and abuse.

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Further information is available from Tlali Tlali; National Prosecuting Authority: Cell—(082) 333-3880
and USAID’s Jill Thompson: (012) 452-2262