A five-day training programme on Preventing and Responding to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) took place in Namibia as part of a continent-wide initiative aimed at strengthening local and institutional responses to GBV across Africa.
The training brought together local actors to improve collaboration and build practical, culturally appropriate skills to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in communities. It was part of a broader KAIPTC-led initiative that has already been implemented in 11 African countries, including Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Ghana, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Liberia, Togo, Benin, Uganda, and Chad. The initiative targets frontline actors whose roles are critical to prevention, investigation, response, and advocacy efforts related to GBV.
The training was grounded in the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, which recognizes women and girls as disproportionately affected by sexual and gender-based violence in both conflict and non-conflict settings. It also built on findings from a KAIPTC-led survey conducted in 2020 across selected African countries, which highlighted gaps in institutional capacity, investigative skills, coordination among local actors, and low prosecution rates of GBV-related cases.
Key areas of focus for the training included policy development on GBV, effective investigation and evidence gathering, community sensitization, media engagement, and the strengthening of strategic partnerships among local stakeholders. The programme also seeks to foster dialogue among participants and promote collaborative approaches that ensure timely support for survivors and improved accountability for perpetrators.
Participants drawn from security services, the judiciary, healthcare institutions, civil society organizations, traditional and faith-based leadership, the media, education services, and community-based structures are being equipped with practical knowledge and skills to improve GBV prevention and response mechanisms.
The training was implemented with financial support from the Norwegian Government.