Over the last 10 years, the “Sunrise Campaign: Empowering Women, Ending Violence” has gained momentum across the Southern African Development Community, reaching over 3 000 women in 10 countries, 600 of these in South Africa. 

The programme has contributed to growing evidence of the nexus between economic empowerment and sustainable solutions to GBV. Underscoring the policy-level significance of this project, in 2020, South Africa adopted a National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, which includes a stand-alone pillar on economic empowerment.