The sixty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) took place from March 6 through 17 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The CSW principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. The Annual Session is the biggest gathering of gender equality advocates in the world and it convenes Ministers, high-level government officials, development partners and NGOs at the United Nations in New York in March for two weeks to discuss progress, challenges and set policies and global standards on gender equality and the rights of women and girls. This year’s priority theme focused on promoting equality and the empowerment of women and girls in the digital age through innovation, education, and technological change.
The Ministry of Gender, Youth, Sport, Arts, Culture and Social Development of the Kingdom of Lesothoand the regional programme Partnerships for Prevention of Gender-Based Violence in Southern Africa (PfP) funded by the German Government and the Ford Foundation and implemented by GIZ, successfully cooperated in the organization of this side event to share good practices and lessons learnt from the collaborative development and management of digital solutions and their integration within existing strategies to change individual beliefs and social norms around gender-based violence. The side event “Digital solutions to prevent gender-based violence in Lesotho” took place on March 15th, at the UN Head Quarters in New York, with the participation of stakeholders in gender equality across all sectors.
Following an introductory speech to highlight the relevance of working towards gender equality in Lesotho by Matau Futho-Letsatsi, Ministry of Gender of Lesotho, and Marcus Koll, Counsellor German Mission to the UN, the programme manager of PfP, Begoña Castro Vázquez, showcased the successful cooperation between GIZ and the Ministry through the Nokaneng initiative. Nokaneng brings together this year’s CSW themes into one exemplary initiative: a multi-stakeholder and user-centred approach to develop digital solutions for the prevention of GBV with government, non-governmental and private sector actors in Lesotho. In particular, one component of the flagship – A smartphone App and SMS-based solution – aims to sensitize women, stimulate conversation and build solidarity and therewith pave the way to reduce the acceptance of gender-based violence (GBV).
In Southern Africa, GBV is among the most severe and wide-spread human rights violations. Its prevalence and acceptance is high in international comparison. A study by Gender Links shows that 86% of women in Lesotho have experienced GBV in their lifetime, and over 50% of women experienced Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). However, less than 40% of women who experience violence seek help. In Lesotho, many women are hesitant to report cases of violence to the police or public institutions. Instead, they tend to be more comfortable with sharing experiences or talking about GBV within safe circles, and anonymously. Making GBV-related information and support structures easily accessible to women can encourage them to assert themselves against patriarchal gender norms and to break free from perpetuated cycles of violence. Since mobile phones are wide-spread in Lesotho - with 78.7% of Lesotho residents owning a mobile phone, introducing an app as a platform for exchange on GBV was an innovative step forward in making use of technology to promote change.
The Nokaneng smartphone app and SMS solution was officially launched in Lesotho by the Ministry of Gender in 2019 under the slogan ‘Knowledge is power, power is protection’. Since then, the app was downloaded over 7,300 times and the SMS solutions have over 15,600 users. The partnership approach includes also the private sector. With Vodacom Lesotho Foundation, the usage of the digital solutions is offered free of charge when subscribed with the company. The local company Enigma is also included in the partnership, as it provides maintenance and the hosting of the digital solutions. Social marketing to promote the initiative was done through a radio soapie, as the radio is one of the most popular medias in the country. Interactive marketing (activations) also took place, with the support of UNICEF and civil society organisations that are close to the communities. Nokaneng provides users with a secure and private platform to access information about gender-based violence, receive or give advice, and maximize your protection against violence. Users can watch, read or listen to information about the different forms of GBV, services available in Lesotho and the laws that protect women against violence as well as asking professional counsellors for advice and give advice in return.
Technology is there to help humans to thrive and to progress. And through partnerships we can network across the globe and across expertise and sectors to make the best use of it. GBV rates are growing alarmingly across the world. Using technologies in joint action with a diverse range of actors we can stand a chance to bring about the positive change in society and in politics needed to stop it. Nokaneng’s innovation consist in the combination of technology and digital solutions to approach the issue of GBV prevention from a participatory angle, where women can take ownership, be heard, and network with others. With the technical expertise of PfP programme, the political will of the ministry and the support of motivated stakeholders, Nokaneng promises to be a highlight in this year’s CSW.