South Africa: Phokwane Human Rights Awareness Campaign
The Human Rights Awareness Campaign held in Phokwane on 6 May 2026 brought together 48 community members, stakeholders, and Sunrise Campaign beneficiaries for an impactful engagement on human rights, gender-based violence, access to justice, and community empowerment. The workshop created a safe platform for discussions around emotional, physical, and economic abuse, protection orders, unresolved court cases, maintenance challenges, socio-economic rights, youth drug abuse, and the silence surrounding abuse experienced by men.
Opening the session, Naledi Masipa from Gender Links highlighted the importance of awareness and empowerment:
“The purpose of this Human Rights Awareness Campaign is to empower communities with knowledge, restore dignity, and ensure that people know where to seek help when their rights are violated.”
She also reflected on the Sunrise Campaign journey:
“Through the Sunrise Campaign, we continue to witness lives being transformed. The journey is about healing, empowerment, restoring confidence, and reminding people that their painful experiences do not define their future.”
Abednigo Mokgoja emphasized the importance of supporting men affected by abuse:
“Men are also abused, but many suffer in silence because they fear being judged.”
Participants raised critical concerns regarding unresolved legal cases, confusion around case withdrawals, maintenance responsibilities, lack of awareness about legal processes, and the growing challenge of drug abuse among youth. Many participants expressed frustration about delays in justice processes while also appreciating the opportunity to engage directly with stakeholders.
Key takeaways from the workshop included increased awareness of human rights, better understanding of protection orders and court support systems, improved knowledge of socio-economic rights, and the importance of speaking out against abuse and injustice. The workshop also strengthened community engagement and encouraged participants to make use of available government and support services.
Recommendations from the engagement included the need for continuous legal awareness programmes, stronger community education on protection orders and maintenance laws, more engagement sessions with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), improved support systems for GBV survivors, and stronger collaboration between communities and stakeholders.
The campaign further called on communities to report abuse, use available government services, support vulnerable groups, address youth drug abuse, and continue promoting human dignity, justice, and accountability within communities.
One participant said: “It is for the first time I hear about many of these issues, and they are very important in our lives.”
Stakeholders included:
* Gender Links - Genderlinks
* Phokwane Municipality - Phokwane Municipality
* SAPS Domestic Violence and GBV Unit - South African Police Services
* National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) - National Prosecuting Authority
* Nkandla Men’s Forum
* Nkandla Soup Kitchen
* Sunrise Campaign Beneficiaries
