Project profile — Inkanyezi: Transforming Women Leadership

This project seeks to use an intersectional approach that empowers women and young women leaders to advocate for the transformation of community systems that discriminate against women. The project also engages men, young men and traditional and religious leaders in raising awareness and challenging harmful societal and traditional norms that perpetuate unequal gender relations. It works with men champions and allies to promote positive masculinities. Project activities include: (1) providing technical assistance to elected, traditional and religious women leaders in political systems, governance, conflict resolution, transformative gender norms and power structures; (2) training non-elected women and young women in leadership, women’s rights, gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), local municipal planning, accountability processes and access to justice; (3) conducting dialogues with men policymakers, administrators and traditional duty bearers on the need for policies and laws to support women's leadership and rights; (4) engaging with the Commission for Gender Equality on monitoring the implementation of policies and laws on GBVF; and (5) conducting community behaviour change campaigns targeting the consequences of unequal gender norms on women's rights and leadership. The project directly benefits at least 24,905 women, most of whom live in rural areas and are economically and politically marginalized. The project expects to indirectly benefit a further 20,000 people, 20% of whom are men and young men in the various spheres and levels of government and society in seven municipalities across two provinces of South Africa.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) increased effectiveness of elected, traditional and religious women leaders as visible and influential decision makers and role models; (2) increased accountability of local government and traditional systems to better address women’s needs, in line with South Africa's Constitution; and (3) improved gender roles within local government, traditional systems and communities.

Results achieved as of March 2025 include: (1) trained 377 community action team members (340 women and 37 men) on community mobilization, referral mechanisms and action planning; (2) reached 502 people (396 women and 106 men) through 10 workshops to raise awareness on the right to public participation in the Integrated Development Planning process; and (3) reached 4,979 community members through advocacy campaigns and community dialogues on relevant policies, including the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.