Our Partnership with Zimele Wethu

An estimated 50% of South African children are vulnerable to being abused by the age of 18, and every three minutes a child is reportedly raped. One third of those reported cases are committed by a family member or close relative. Zimele Wethu, a grassroots organization that creates self-sustaining communities by organizing women into self-help groups, has noted that children in KwaZulu-Natal Province rarely open up about their experiences of abuse. The lack of safe spaces for conversations about gender-based violence reveals deeply rooted cultural norms that silence victims and protect perpetrators.

We’re partnering with Zimele Wethu to foster awareness of and dialogues about gender-based violence among a network of 1,780 women, girls and boys who are members of self-help groups. Recognizing that both boys and girls must learn about gender equity from the time they are young in order to bring about generational change, Zimele Wethu is focusing its efforts on mobilizing children into new groups. These groups not only offer safe spaces to discuss topics like gender-based violence, but also provide opportunities to learn about financial management, savings and entrepreneurship. Through this project, 28 new self-help groups are being formed, and conversations about gender-based violence are being mainstreamed across all of Zimele Wethu’s already-existing groups.