:: sonke gender justice

The Sonke Gender Justice Network works with men, women, youth, and children in the South African Development Countries (SADC) region to achieve gender equality, prevent gender-based violence, and reduce the spread of HIV and the impact of AIDS. Sonke employs various social change strategies to promote a healthy, equitable society, ranging from individual skill building and community education, to organizational development, community mobilization, and policy advocacy.

Since 2007, Silence Speaks has been partnering with Sonke on a large-scale digital storytelling program in South Africa. We have conducted a series of eight workshops with urban and rural youth and adults, enabling participants to explore how their past life experiences have supported their personal commitments to taking a stand against violence and exposing its connection to HIV and AIDS. While stereotyped representations of masculinity and sensationalized portrayals of gender-based violence abound in popular media, the Sonke digital stories present an alternative vision -- one that emphasizes the importance of reflection, hope, and a vision of social change. Some of the workshops have been fully participatory, with facilitators assisting participants in writing and editing their own stories; others have involved a modified process, with facilitators completing final edits. Workshops in rural locations have incorporated the use of photography and drawing by participants, through the provision of disposable cameras and art supplies.

To date, we have produced four unique story collections featuring work in English, Xhosa, Venda, and other South African languages (with English subtitles) together with accompanying Facilitation Guides. The stories, which have become crucial tools in Sonke’s work, are being distributed broadly, via educational television and community radio, and locally. Sonke and its many partners are screening them with careful facilitation across Southern Africa, as a way of educating local communities, training service providers, inspiring policymakers, and promoting sustained community action for change. As part of our work with Sonke, we have also produced a training guide that frames digital stories as case studies for educating men about South Africa’s Sexual Offenses Act, as well as a set of radio spots comprised of edited versions of selected stories, designed to raise public awareness about this legislation. Finally, we authored a series of community radio programs centered on a collection of stories from the Sonke archive, which feature Q&A opportunities and guest hosting by key Sonke staff. For information about these projects, please email Amy Hill.

Read about our youth-focused work with Sonke, in rural South Africa.