This week, Kick4Life’s Community Programmes Director, ‘Makatleho ‘Puky’ Pitso, represented Kick4Life at the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) Forum 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa.
The SVRI is one of the largest global networks for advancing research on violence against women, violence against children, and other forms of gender-based violence. The Forum provided a space to connect, share, and learn about holistic, intersectional, and innovative approaches to prevent and respond to violence against women, violence against children, and other forms of violence driven by gender inequality.
Puky was among 1,500 participants from across the globe who were involved in different discussions, including the rapid emergence of tech and AI, increasing backlash, forced migration, an unstable & uncertain world, and the importance of evidence for activism/work, along with hopes for the future.
There were numerous topics held simultaneously, and each participant chose which one to engage in. Puky chose to focus on Violence Against Women (VAW) and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) prevention programs, which are priority areas of work for Kick4Life. Speakers covered mixed methods outcomes for 18-30 years, community-led interventions to reduce VAW, addressing harmful social and gender norms, engaging faith leaders and communities.
Puky also attended presentations on Mental Health impacts, focusing on trauma recovery, improving mental healthcare for adolescent sexual assault survivors, identifying barriers to mental health, therapeutic mechanisms of an arts, informed intervention for pregnant and parenting adolescents experiencing violence, guided mental health intervention to reduce psychological stress related to GBV, and systematic inclusion of gender-based violence in mental health and psychosocial services.
Furthermore, she attended a session on child abuse where the topics included unique and shared risk factors for early childhood victimization and poly-victimization, harmful synergies between childhood sexual abuse and mental health challenges, and understanding incest.
Puky said: “As a part of an organization that works daily with matters involving women and children, I really learned a lot. I related to most of the discussions as they were all research-based, and they will help us at Kick4Life to implement some of the ways to continue fighting GBV and child abuse.”
