Addressing Gender-Based Violence and Leadership: Highlights from the SAWON Foundation Conference
At the SAWON Foundation's GBV and Leadership event, Lindi Ndebele-Koka of SWIFT - Sisters Working in Film & Television, emphasized the pivotal role of Safety Contact Officers (SCOs) in ensuring safety across the Film & TV industry value chain. As part of SWIFT's sexual harassment strategy, the SCO initiative served as a cornerstone program, offering guidance and acting as a critical resource in addressing incidents of sexual harassment within productions. This collaborative program was designed in partnership with production companies committed to fulfilling their duty of care as outlined in Section 6 of the Employment Equity Act and the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, marking a significant step forward in creating safer work environments.
The annual Southern Africa Women of Note (SAWON) Foundation GBV & Leadership Banquet Conference, held on November 14 at the Durban ICC, brought together leading women from across the SADC region. Themed "Meet. Engage. Inspire," the event sought to confront gender-based violence, foster ethical leadership, and uphold family values. This year’s conference focused on addressing systemic failures in the justice system that place GBV victims at risk, underscoring the urgency for comprehensive reform.
SAWON CEO Lucky Mthembu highlighted the importance of tackling these challenges head-on. “This year’s focus was to jointly speak with one voice to bring about change in the systemic challenges that GBV victims face each time they report and try to deal with perpetrators,” Mthembu stated. “While we live in one of the most progressive justice systems in the world, there are still loopholes that leave victims exposed to the point that they lose their lives in the hands of their abusers.”
In collaboration with partners such as the National Film & Video Foundation (NFVF), the conference adopted a solutions-oriented approach, relying on data-driven strategies to inform its recommendations. “Using scientific data and studies conducted by partners like NFVF will drive the solution-based strategies emerging from this conference,” Mthembu added.