WE WILL SPEAK OUT SOUTH AFRICA

GOVERNANCE POLICY DOCUMENT

WWOSA Identity

WWSOSA is a coalition of faith communities and partners working together to prevent and end sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) across South Africa. The coalition is the South African chapter of a Global We Will Speak Out Coalition. The international vision, goal and outcomes are:

VISION:

Transformed, just and reconciled communities where the lives of men and women, girls and boys are no longer shattered by gender based violence.

GOAL:

Church communities and leaders – male and female – proactively working with survivors and others, to address effectively the causes and consequences of sexual violence, including within the church.

OUTCOMES:

1. CHURCH LEADERS SPEAK OUT

Church leaders speak out and provide strong and positive leadership within their churches and communities to end sexual violence, recognizing and promoting the importance and centrality of survivors, demonstrating gender sensitivity and empowering women;

2. COMMUNITIES AND CHURCHES PROVIDE SAFE SPACES

Local churches and communities provide safe and stigma-free spaces for survivors of sexual violence, support survivors and assist them in accessing services, at the same time pursuing community action to break the silence around sexual violence, to advocate zero-tolerance, challenge impunity, overcome stigma and discrimination against survivors, and promote choice, opportunities and renewed hope;

3. CENTRAL ROLE OF SURVIVORS AND EMPOWERING WOMEN

Women, girls and survivors (all genders) take their place within communities free of stigma, claiming new futures, rebuilding their lives and their families;

4. TRANSFORMING MASCULINITY

The church proactively engages men and boys in ending sexual violence, and demonstrates models for positive masculinities and femininities, and transformed gender relationships;

5. THE COALITION AS A LEARNING SPACE

The WWSO coalition provides a learning space to learn from survivors, and to share experiences, challenges, research, strategies of success and tools in order to strengthen and measure faith-based responses to sexual violence in order to enhance advocacy.

The WWSOSA Coalition has adopted the vision, goal and outcomes for the Coalitions work within South Africa. The WWSOSA Coalition is a national platform led and guided by a Management Committee.

Membership to WWSOSA is open to all who are committed to working together to prevent SGBV in South Africa. Survivors of SGBV are key stakeholders of the Coalition.

Background and History We Will Speak Out South Africa (WWSOSA)

WWSO was launched globally in March 2010. WWSOSA was launched on the 25th of November 2013, by Archbishop of CapeTown, the Right Reverend Thabo Makgoba when he committed the Anglican Communion to break the silence around SGBV in South Africa.

The founding members were: HOPEAfrica, UNAIDS, Tearfund, Sonke Gender Justice, and the National Religious Association for Social Development (NRASD).

By 2013 the Coalition grew to include: South African Christian Leadership Initiative (SACLI), South African Faith and Family Institute (SAFFI), Christian Aids Bureau for Southern Africa (CABSA), The Evangelical Alliance of South Africa (TEASA), ACSA, Methodist Church of South Africa (MCSA), Dispute Resolution Centre (DRC), Gender Equality Matters (GEMA), Rhema Ministries, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sothern Africa (ELCSA), KwaZulu Natal Christian Council (KZNCC), Western Cape Christian Council (WCCC), Living Word Ministries, Zoë-Life, James 1:27 Trust and others.

WWSOSA works in partnership with UNAIDS, UNFPA and UNWOMEN who serve in advisory capacities. WWSOSA is supported by hundreds of individuals who have signed a “pledge” to take action and support the ambitions of the coalition.

This policy document guides the Governance structure for the WWSOSA Coalition.

Governance Structure

The structure of the WWSOSACoalition ensuresminimal bureaucracy and enables the Coalition to maximize its impact, by bringing in the best possible advice to support the membership to deliver the Strategic Framework and implement the Activity Plan.

WWSOSA has resolved to create a Voluntary Association with various founding documents, including a Constitution, and principle documents that lay the framework for the Coalition functions and activities.

A Voluntary Association may register with the Department of Social Development as a Non-Profit Organisation and thereafter with the South African Revenue Services as a Public Benefit Organisation.

The constitution provides the initial framework for the governance structure; this policy document unpacks the detail of the structure.

  1. The Coalition will be managed by a Management Committee.
  2. The Coalition Management Committee will appoint a Coalition Administrator and / or staff as per available funds.
  3. Where funds are not available to fill the position the tasks of the Coalition Administrator may be undertaken by a member organisation or individuals as agreed by the Management Committee.
  4. The Management Committee is elected via a General Meeting of the Coalition.
  5. The Management committee comprises of at least the following portfolios; Chair Person, Treasurer, Survivor and Coalition Administrator.
  6. Additional members of the Management Committee may be appointed, up to a maximum of ten members,inclusive of portfolio positions and technical advisors.

The Role of the Management Committee

The Management Committee oversees the work of the WWSOSA. The Management Committee meets quarterly (virtually or physically) and is responsible for:

1.Maintaining the links and alignments with the Global Coalition strategy, vision and objective.

2.Pursuing the goals, objective, strategies, and guiding and supporting all activities of the WWSOSA Coalition including resource mobilization.

3.is responsible for ensuring that decisions are implemented, working closely with the Coalition Administrator.

4.Advising the General Meeting in order to take key strategic decisions.

5.Reviewing and approving activity plans and structuresto meet the agreed objectives.

6.Mobilizing participation by WWSOSA Members, and coordinating the work to meet the objectives.

7.Establishing ad hoc sub-committees as needed.

8.Approve new members as per the Membership Policy document.

9.Identify and develop strategic partnerships with other groups and / or coalitions.

10.Develop required policies to support the strategy and ensure sound governance.

11.Inform and consult WWSOSA Members broadly on key strategies and emerging issues.

12.Seek opportunities for the advancement and collaboration for WWSOSA in respective scope of work and feedback on these to the Management Committee meetings.

Membership of the Management Committee

The Management Committee will ensure balance and bring a mix of representation of key areas of work, gender, faith background and geographical spread for the WWSOSA Coalition as well as survivors and individuals who bring particular skills and expertise to support the work of the Management Committee.

The Management Committee will function as determined in the Constitution.

Members of the Management Committee dealing with financial matters may not be subject to a sequestration order or have surrendered their estate for the benefit of their creditors.

Roles andResponsibilitiesof the Management Committee Members

  1. Chairperson
  2. serves for two years
  3. will conveneand chairGeneral Meetings of the Coalition and Management Committee; in the event the Chair is not available or has a conflict of interest the meeting may elect an alternative Chair
  4. ensures meetings are undertaken in a fair and honest manner with respect and dignity for all participants.
  5. will set the agenda for Management Committee meetings
  6. Treasurer
  7. has experience and training in financial oversight and management
  8. provides oversight of financial matters of the coalition
  9. will advise the Management Committee on any decisions pertaining to financial affairs of the Coalition
  10. will provide input to all reports
  11. will report on any financial matters to the General Meeting
  12. is the custodian of the financial policy and it’s application within the Coalition
  13. Survivor
  14. Represents the voices of survivors of SGBV
  15. Is responsible for facilitating communication between the various survivor groups within the Coalition and the Management Committee; to fulfil the mandate of WWSO Global that the voices of survivors of SGBV remain central to the work of the Coalition
  16. Coalition Administrator
  1. Undertakes the administrative and day-to-day functions of the Coalition to ensure that the goals and objectives of the Coalition are met.

Meetings of the Coalition

Members of the WWSOSA Coalition meet every year at an Annual General Meeting as per the Constitution.

Coalition members will seek further opportunities to include and collaborate with each other.

All formal meetings of the Coalition will have a minute or note-taker delegated by the meeting to take minutes or notes, theseminutes or notes will be available to any member of the Coalition as per the Constitution.

How WWSOSA Works to Deliver the Strategy

WWOSA will develop a 5 year Strategic Plan and an Activity Plan under the guidance of the Management Committee. The Strategic Plan and the activities foreseen for the WWSOSA Coalition will be designed to supplement and add value to the strategies and activities pursued by the individual members of the coalition in respect of sexual and gender based violence.

The impact of the Coalition will become manifest through a variety of initiatives or activities at all levels from local grassroots to national.

It is essential for WWSOSAs work to be supported by a small funded administrative function.This office’s function will be to provide support for the work of the Coalition, and to ensure that the activities are delivered so that the Strategy is implemented. Thisoffice will also ensure that the governance structures work smoothly, and will be led by the Coalition Administrator,of WWSOSA.

Working Groups or sub-committees will be formed to undertake initiatives and activities of the Coalition.

Communications and Representation

On occasions members of the WWSOSA may be asked to represent the views of the wider coalition. Representatives of WWSOSA should only reflect agreed WWSOSA policy. The Communication policy will provide the mechanisms for responding to requests for statements or responses.

Coalition members invited to represent WWSOSA on formal forums may not do so without the knowledge of the Coalition Administrator.

Monitoring and Evaluation

A Monitoring and Evaluation plan will be developed to measure the effectiveness of the strategy, it should speak to both global and national indicators, while being user friendly and simple to implement. It will be reviewed annually.

The information generated will be used to provide feedback to WWSO global coalition.

Membership

The membership policy document unpacks the detail of the membership structures, roles and responsibilities.