Violence against women in Cameroon: The Maputo protocol and Cameroon’s human rights obligations

Introduction Violence against women is a universal problem that continues to warrant much international, regional, and national attention. The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on…

June 26, 2023

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Taking the Stand in Domestic Violence: Tips for Testifying

Although you may feel scared or even panicked about testifying, speaking your truth in court can be empowering. Survivors testify against the person who abused them in all kind of…

August 17, 2020

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Nine Ways to Prepare to Testify in Court

Get the outcome you want in court by being prepared for the big day. Although you may feel concerned or even terrified about testifying against the person who abused you,…

August 17, 2020

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SVRI Forum 2019: A Legal Practitioner’s Perspective

In October 2019, I had the privilege of joining hundreds of researchers, government officials, and practitioners at the SVRI Forum in Cape Town, South Africa. Coming from a small non-profit…

January 17, 2020

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Policing and human rights in South Africa: Combating gender based violence and policing neglect of sex workers

Sex Work and the Law in South Africa Sex work in South Africa is fully criminalized. This includes the selling of sex, buying of sex and benefiting from the proceeds…

April 19, 2018

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Historic record shows universities like Rhodes failed female students

In cases of sexual assault, universities tend to prioritise their own reputations and that of the rape accused. When I was a student at Rhodes in the early to mid-90s,…

January 9, 2018

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Data for policy: Building a culture of evidence-based policies to address violence against children (VAC)

Good policy starts with good data, which is why the work of Together for Girls (TfG) begins with nationally representative Violence Against Children Surveys (VACS), led by the Center for Disease Control and…

November 30, 2017

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Gender under the Rome Statute: Intersex outcast

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court adheres to sex dualism. As a result, it denies legal protection to intersex victims of gender-based violence. The adoption of the Rome Statute…

January 9, 2017

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The Bemba judgement and ‘justice’ for survivors of rape and sexual violence

On 21 March 2016, Trial Chamber III of the International Criminal Court (ICC) convicted Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, the former vice-president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), of war crimes and crimes…

July 15, 2016

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Wartime rape and the need for reparations

The phrases ‘wartime rape’ and ‘rape as a weapon of war’ have received much traction in recent years. This is owed to a growing awareness of the enormity of sexual…