Gender Health & Justice Research Unit

What we do

The Gender, Health and Justice Research Unit at the University of Cape Town’s Faculty of Health Sciences (Division of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology) conducts progressive research in the area of women’s rights. Faced with staggering levels of violence against women in South Africa, the Unit is dedicated to improving access to health and justice services for survivors of gender-based violence. The Unit uses interdisciplinary methods from various academic fields including law, the social sciences, and public health to contribute to policies and laws and to advocate for social justice.

The University of Cape Town awarded the Unit a Social Responsiveness Award in 2009. These awards recognise academics who demonstrate that social engagement has enhanced the teaching and learning process.

Submission to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on gender-based violence against women with disabilities in South Africa.

This submission has been prepared in response to the invitation by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to submit information for purposes of its Half-Day of General Discussion on women and girls with disabilities, held on 17 April 2013. We set out the general legal framework relating to gender-based violence against women with intellectual disabilities and psychosocial disabilities in South Africa and also report on the preliminary findings of a research and advocacy project jointly undertaken by three partners: the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at the University of the Western Cape, the Cape Mental Health Society and the Gender, Health and Justice Research Unit at the University of Cape Town.

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Submission on the Commission on Gender Equality Act Amendment Bill (2013)

On 13 April 2012 the Unit and various other organisations, as part of the Shukumisa Campaign, made a submission to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development on the Strategic Plans and Budget of the department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the National Prosecuting Authority. The Submission proposes the revision of the Draft National Policy Framework (NPF) to address the range of policy gaps in the DoJ&CD response to sexual offences, including detailed description of the duties and obligations imposed upon all role players in managing sexual offences and recommends the development of comprehensive policy around the prosecution of sexual offences generally and not only in relation to sexual offences courts. This needs to address questions of court preparation, psycho-social services, the competencies and training of personnel working in this field, the infra-structure and resources required to make policy a material reality, the adequate payment of services rendered (as well as identification of which Department is responsible for such payments.

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Shukumisa Campaign Submission on Strategic Plans and Budgets of DoJ&CD and NPA (2013)

In March 2013, the GHJRU contributed to a submission to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women, Children and People with Disabilities (National Assembly), on the Commission on Gender Equality Bill. The submission was made by a collective of civil society organisations working on issues of gender equality. The submission makes recommendations to further enhance the effectiveness of the CGE and strengthen its independence in accordance with the constitutional imperatives of Chapter 9 institutions.

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Recent News

Policy, budget for sexual offences in South Africa inadequate -Shukumisa Campaign

Civil Society organisations present to the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development on weak government response to sexual offences.

16 April 2013 for
immediate release

The Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development today received submissions around the budget of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ&CD). This exercise is part of its review of the Department's strategic plans and budget.

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