In a collaborative effort to address Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), Waterberg District Municipality recently concluded its ambitious End GBVF 100-Day Challenge. This initiative, driven by a diverse coalition of stakeholders, marked a significant step toward raising awareness, improving reporting systems, and fostering community resilience against domestic violence, substance abuse, and human trafficking.

A United Front Against GBVF
The strength of this initiative lay in the extensive network of participants from both governmental and civil society sectors. Key stakeholders included the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, SAPS, the Department of Social Development, community organizations, and traditional leaders, among many others. 

Tangible Impact in Numbers
The 100 days of focused action yielded remarkable results:

• Activity Expansion: The team planned 24 GBVF awareness activities across the district but exceeded expectations by implementing 33.
• Broad Reach: While the target was to engage 6,300 participants, the team reached 5,233 people, fostering greater awareness and community involvement.
• Legal Support: A notable reduction in the withdrawal of protection orders highlighted growing awareness within communities on the importance of seeing cases through to finality.

Innovations That Changed the Game
Throughout the challenge, innovative approaches and collaborative practices emerged:

• More detailed GBVF  Reporting: GBVF-related reports that were routinely supplied by the court were more detailed. This gave the team more detailed insight into the status of GBVF cases specifically looking at Number of Interim Protection Orders Granted, Number of Summons Issued, Number of Finalized Protection Orders Issued, Number of Applications for Protection Orders dealt with, and Number of DV Orders submitted by a Court Clerk to SAPS. 
• Data-Driven Reflection: Stakeholders used these court-provided statistics to measure progress, allowing for evidence-based discussions and decision-making.
• Cultural Transformation: Traditional leaders initiated GBVF training within local council authorities, positioning themselves as champions for ethical behavior and accountability.

Overcoming Obstacles
The challenge wasn’t without its hurdles. Limited participation, gaps in SAPS crime statistics, and inconsistent attendance at critical meetings posed challenges. However, the team managed to overcome these challenges by taking the following measures:

• Engaging leadership from the Office of the Status of Women, Children, and People with Disabilities to address SAPS data-sharing protocols.
• Writing formal requests to MECs and the Premier for intervention in addressing attendance and reporting gaps.
• Ensuring that all local and district GBVF committees committed to regular meetings and accurate reporting.

Lessons Learned and Relationships Strengthened
The challenge revealed the immense potential for collaboration between government entities and civil society sectors. By aligning their efforts, both sides developed a shared understanding of their critical roles in addressing GBVF. Furthermore, the experience highlighted systemic gaps, prompting plans for workshops to sensitize municipal employees on GBVF issues and foster a culture of accountability.

Sustaining the Momentum
Waterberg District Municipality is determined to sustain the progress by maintaining regular engagement with the GBVF Rapid Response Team to ensure that GBVF programmes continue throughout the year, and are incorporated under the budget planning from other  social development divisions

Additionally, quarterly reviews and data-driven discussions will be prioritized to monitor progress and ensure long-term impact.