Well worth the wait? The Sexual Offences Bill in 2006

The Sexual Offences Bill finally seems to be winding its way to conclusion in parliament. It has taken three years to reach this point since its first introduction in 2003, raising serious questions about the government's sense of urgency in addressing sexual assault. This article looks at the Bill to establish what it really holds for victims of sexual assault.DHE

Going the extra mile: police training on domestic violence

As anticipated by the drafters of the Domestic Violence Act (DVA), the South African Police Service holds the key to the successful implementation of the Act. Over the past ten years, researchers and independent bodies tasked with monitoring the implementation of this legislation have consistently called for more training for police officials on how to deal with domestic violence. However, the reality is that police officials already receive such training. The question that therefore arises is why these training programmes appear to be ineffective in ensuring compliance with the DVA. A recently completed research and advocacy project found that although the majority of SAPS members interviewed had a basic understanding of the DVA and its key concepts, their ability to apply its provisions in practical problemsolving scenarios was often limited, leading to the recommendation that training methodologies should be more practice-oriented if they are to improve DVA compliance.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Training for police on the Domestic Violence Act

The inadequate or inappropriate police responses to domestic violence often result from a lack of knowledge of the Domestic Violence Act (DVA) and the National Instruction or from a misinterpretation of the DVA’s provisions. In the interviews undertaken, the central question asked was: ‘Do current training programmes provide SAPS members with the knowledge and skills required to apply the DVA and National Instruction in practice?’ It appeared from the interviews that the majority of the research participants had a basic awareness of the DVA and the National Instruction. However, when it came to the practical application of knowledge in a ‘problem-solving’ scenario, it was notable that the majority of interviewees experienced difficulties when multi-faceted variables were included. It was recommended that more members need training on the DVA, and more frequent and/or more in-depth courses should be offered. Furthermore it was recommended that special attention be devoted to training on domestic violence during the basic six months’ training for new students

At the crossroads: linking strategic frameworks to address gender-based violence and HIV/ AIDS in Southern Africa

In recent years, southern African governments have made a number of important commitments on international and regional levels to combat HIV/ AIDS. The subregion has also seen a number of strategic developments such as the drafting and implementation of the SADC HIV/AIDS Policy Framework for 2003-2007 and the appointment by the UN Secretary-General of a Task Force on Women, Girls and HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa.It is now generally accepted that the intersections between gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS are among the most significant of the gendered dimensions of this pandemic. It is noteworthy that the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women devoted her 2005 thematic report to these intersections. She observed that while some progress is being made separately on ending violence against women and on stemming the spread of HIV/AIDS, national and international efforts would be vastly more effective if they addressed the interconnectness between the two pandemics.Heinrich Boell Foundation and Ford Foundatio

African Disability Rights Yearbook Volume 3 2015

African Disability Rights Yearbook Volume 3 2015 Edited by Charles Ngwena, Ilze Grobbelaar‐du Plessis, Helene Combrinck and Serges Djoyou Kamga 2015 ISSN: 2311-8970 Pages: 337 Print version: Available Electronic version: Free PDF availabl

African Disability Rights Yearbook Volume 4 2016

About the publication The African Disability Rights Yearbook addresses disability rights within the foundational structure laid down by the inaugural issue. The structure comprises a tripartite division between: articles; country reports; and shorter commentaries on recent regional and sub-regional developments. The African Disability Rights Yearbook aims to advance disability scholarship. Coming in the wake of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, it is the first peer-reviewed journal to focus exclusively on disability as human rights on the African continent. It provides an annual forum for scholarly analysis on issues pertaining to the human rights of persons with disabilities. It is also a source for country-based reports as well as commentaries on recent developments in the field of disability rights in the African region. The African Disability Rights Yearbook publishes peer-reviewed contributions dealing with the rights of persons with disabilities and related topics, with specific relevance to Africa, Africans and scholars of Africa. The Yearbook appears annually under the aegis of the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria. The Yearbook is an open access online publication, see www.adry.up.ac.za About the editors: Charles Ngwena is Professor, Department of Constitutional Law and Legal Philosophy, Faculty of Law, University of the Free State, South Africa. Ilze Grobbelaar‐du Plessis is a senior lecturer and holds the degrees BIuris LLB LLM LLD from the University of Pretoria. Helene Combrinck is Associate Professor at the Centre for Disability Law and Policy, University of the Western Cape. Serges Djoyou Kamgais is Senior Lecturer at TMALI (UNISA). Table of Contents Stigma as barrier to the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa Mark Mostert Realising the inclusion of youth with disabilities in political and public life in Kenya Lucianna Thuo Reading ‘disability’ into the non-discrimination clause of the Nigerian Constitution Ngozi Chuma Umeh Legislative mechanisms for combating violence against children with disabilities in selected African jurisdictions: A critical appraisal Enoch Chilemba My right to know: Developing sexuality education resources for learners with intellectual disability in the Western Cape, South Africa Rebecca Johns Colleen Adnams (Re)thinking sexual access for adolescents with disabilities in South Africa: Balancing rights and protection Paul Chappell The development and use of Sign Language in South African schools: The denial of inclusive education Willene Holness Implementing article 33 of CRPD: Tanzanian approach Abdallah Possi SECTION B: COUNTRY REPORTS Angola Eduardo Kapapelo Gabon Christophe Tchudjo Victorine Maptue Toguem Senegal Abdoulaye Thiam Seydi Ababacar Sy Sow SECTION C: REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS The jurisprudence of the committee on the rights of persons with disabilities and its implications for Africa Innocentia Mgijima The right to work and employment in Southern Africa: A commentary on how selected employment laws fare against article 27 of the CRPD Dianah Msipa BOOK REVIEW Don Kulick & Jens Rydström Loneliness and its opposite: Sex, disability, and the ethics of engagement (2015) Paul Chappel

African Disability Rights Yearbook Volume 5 2017

The African Disability Rights Yearbook addresses disability rights within the foundational structure laid down by the inaugural issue. The structure comprises a tripartite division between: articles; country reports; and shorter commentaries on recent regional and sub-regional developments. The African Disability Rights Yearbook aims to advance disability scholarship. Coming in the wake of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, it is the first peer-reviewed journal to focus exclusively on disability as human rights on the African continent. It provides an annual forum for scholarly analysis on issues pertaining to the human rights of persons with disabilities. It is also a source for country-based reports as well as commentaries on recent developments in the field of disability rights in the African region. The African Disability Rights Yearbook publishes peer-reviewed contributions dealing with the rights of persons with disabilities and related topics, with specific relevance to Africa, Africans and scholars of Africa. The Yearbook appears annually under the aegis of the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria. The Yearbook is an open access online publication, see www.adry.up.ac.z