Aligned to influencing the community and societal levels in the ecological model, CCI will promote effective and efficient GBV service delivery to strengthen the Criminal Justice System (CJS).

CCI will focus on effective GBV policy implementation through actions aimed at improved understanding of CJS services and the mandates of service providers by service providers and within communities served, increased uptake of services, improved gender equity and social equity through influencing of harmful cultural, religious values and social norms. CCI will work towards addressing SGBV incidence, prevalence, response and in minimalizing secondary victimisation through interventions  targeted at community members, community networks, local leadership, community media, multi-sectoral GBV Service providers including the SAPS, judicial services and local government officials.

CCI together with its network of community partners contribute towards achieving the response outcomes of the President’s Emergency Response Action Plan (ERAP) on GBV and Femicide (September 2019) which states that to date, the criminal justice system has been inadequate in responding to the crisis of rape, domestic violence, femicide, child homicide and related forms of GBV in South Africa. The ERAP explains that the failure is reflected in the levels of reporting, secondary victimisation and the worrying levels of impunity with which abuse, and violence is inflicted against survivors. The urgent response actions in the ERAP for addressing the immediate systemic inefficiencies within the criminal justice system have informed activities that will be implemented in this IR. CCI and USAID (Law Enforcement Advisor) conducted extensive consultations with key role players within the Criminal Justice System (CJS) to get insights on best practices, challenges and opportunities that exist for ensuring justice outcomes. CCI will promote and facilitate the effective implementation of relevant legislation and activities that will strengthen prevention and response to GBV and increase uptake of services by survivors. Formal and informal mechanisms for ensuring justice outcomes for survivors and victims of GBV will be considered particularly noting cultural, religious and customary practices.

As required, all research activities will include obtaining ethical clearance from relevant research bodies as necessary, development and administering research tools and protocols, analysing research data and producing a research report, with a dissemination strategy, fact sheets and infographics with key messaging for each research project disseminated to relevant stakeholders including media. Findings and recommendations will be integrated to strengthen programming.

Overview: improved understanding of CJS services, mandates of service providers within communities served, increased uptake of services, improved gender and social equity through influencing of harmful cultural, religious values and social norms for reduced secondary victimisation. Interventions are targeted at foal and informal pathways to justice for GBVF survivors and victims. Activities are with community members, community networks, local leadership, community media, multi-sectoral GBV Service providers including the SAPS, DOJCD and judicial services, NPA, DSD, DCSSL, Civilian Secretariat of Police, IPID, DOH and local government officials. Through promoting cooperative governance for timely and effective justice to prevail.

Multi-sectoral and thematic trainings will be conducted in partnership with the NPA, DCSSL, DOJ, DSD among other key departments within the CJS. The trainings will focus on courses for relevant stakeholders on topics such as completing dockets; completing the 308 Form for consent; relevant GBV legislation, guidelines and national instructions relevant to the department or service mandate; J88 used during examination at the TCCs for sexual offence cases among other themes; understanding DNA reports and forensic analysis; working with special populations, interviewing of witnesses; psycho-social interventions; human trafficking; crime scene investigations; case law on sexual offences; statement taking among other topics. Each training will have a Mentoring and Coaching Plan for effective and structured oversight