SADC CONFERENCE ON PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE

Issued by: The Department of Justice

5 - 8 MARCH 1998

The Government of South Africa, in partial fulfilment of its commitment to the optimum realisation of real equality for all, a human rights culture and the fullest empowerment of women and children, will host a conference on the Prevention of Violence Against Women inn Durban, from 5 March 1998 to 08 March 1998. The Conference will culminate in a bumper rally in celebration of International Women's Day on 8 March 1998. It is hoped that the rally would attract a large presence.

The Department of Justice introduced the concept of regional Conference on the Prevention of Violence Against Women with the NCPS forum in the pursuit of the obligation to have regional co-operation on these matters. The experience in matters of regional co-operation is that policy makers always confine co-operation to matters that are perceived as "strategic issues". Little attention has been paid to issued of violence against women and children. It is in this respect that the idea of a conference was mooted and a task team established. The conference would be used to declare a year of the Prevention of Violence Against Women in SADC and to kick start a series of concrete measures towards achieving this objective.

The suggestion was welcomed by SADC countries and SA was asked to host and co-ordinate the conference in consultation with a planning committee consisting of Southern representatives. Here follows some of the project objectives:

to explore the possibility of a binding Regional Convention on the Prevention of Violence Against Women - similar to that adopted by the OAS and building on the provisions of CEDAW
to raise awareness through the declaration of 1998 as a Year of the Prevention of Violence Against Women within SADC
to formulate regional and national/country plans of action
to share best practices from the region.
to review existing legislation, the legal systems and processes.
to address issues such as victim empowerment, sexual harassment, violence and armed conflict, educational mechanisms, economic empowerment and victim restitution.
to promote inter-sectoral and inter-regional co-operation in the area of violence against women.
to review the instruments and structures which have developed in SADC countries - which deal with the advancement of women and the elimination of gender violence.
to look at the undertaking of legal reform, the operation of courts, the need for family courts and the pertinent support systems.
to review the legal system's response to domestic/sexual violence against women.

The Conference will be held under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and will be attended by some Ministers of Justice and Ministers responsible for Gender Matters of the 14 member states of SADC, national and regional Non-Governmental Organisations and constitutional bodies. The conference is being organised and arranged by a National Steering Committee. The conference secretariat is in the Department of Justice Head Office, Pretoria.

ISSUED BY COMMUNICATION SERVICES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ON BEHALF OF THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE DR TSHABALALA-MSIMANG.

CONTACT PERSON: ADV. SYDNEY PILANE-DONDOLO TEL: 012 315 1219 CELL: 082 460 2722 FAX: 012 323 4767 E-MAIL: SYDNEY@JUSTICE 1. PWV. GOV. ZA