Engaging with the State: Lessons learnt from social advocacy on gender-based violence

The extent of substantive progress made in the emancipation of women in southern Africa in the wake of national liberation remains slight. This can partly be attributed to the fact that the imperatives of different fronts of struggle, such as the anti-racist, anti-colonialist and anti-class struggles, have tended to push gender-related questions far down the agenda. The concept of women's voices, how they are heard, how they are not heard and how they are silenced by the State -despite its claims of being 'participatory' and 'consultative' -will be explored in relation to looking at lessons learnt from advocacy in the area of gender-based violence (GBV). The analysis will focus on the conditions under which women have a voice to articulate and pursue their needs and interests, and how the State has sought to listen and respond (or not) to women's needs. The article explores advocacy on violence against women in the course of the past 5 years, the extent to which gains have been made, and the ways in which the State has failed to respond to GBV.