General Information

Business Hours

Monday - Friday
09:00 am - 17:00 pm

Empowering communities and breaking the cycle of abuse.

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Our Mission

We prevent VAC and VAW by:

  • Mobilising communities
  • Creating supportive environments for women & children, both within their homes & the general community
  • Promoting social and behaviour change
  • Giving psycho-social support to survivors of violence,
  • Engaging in and promoting community participatory research.

Our Vision

To be leaders in community-driven and supported prevention of Violence against Children (VAC) and Gender-based Violence (GBV), especially Violence against Women (VAW) in Africa.

To Give You Some

Background...

COPESSA came into being as a result of many consultative ‘iindabas,’ led by a group of women called ‘iSililo – a Women’s Cry.’ This campaign followed the brutal rape of ‘baby Tshepang,’ (not her real name), in 2000.

Our initial focus was on violence against children (VAC) but has since evolved to include women. This holistic approach was necessitated by the intersection of VAC and Violance Against Woman (VAW), which we confirmed through research we conducted in our community in 2019.

We prevent VAC and VAW by using the World Health Organization (WHO) ‘INSPIRE’ and ‘RESPECT’ Frameworks.

View Infographic

COPESSA

Theory of Change (ToC)

We believe that we can decrease the prevalence of VAC, VAW & GBV by increasing the knowledge, shifting attitudes and changing social norms that make GBV acceptable and tolerated in our community.

COPESSA programme is premised on the following human rights-based and research-supported foundation:

  • The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) especially SDG 5,16
  • The Republic of South Africa Constitution especially Articles 9,10,11, 28
  • The Republic of South Africa National Strategic Plan (on Gender-based Violence & Femicide)
View ToC Table

Our approach to VAC and VAW prevention

is grounded on the following theories:

  • Socio-ecological Model of Change, especially
  • The Hierarchy of Effects Model
  • Theory of Planned Behaviour
  • Social Learning Theory
  • Positive Deviance
  • Theories of Social Norms, Gender and Power

We believe that we can decrease the prevalence of

VAC, VAW & GBV

by increasing the knowledge, shifting attitudes, and changing
social norms that make GBV acceptable amd tolerated in our community.

Funding Partners

NLL
parity
Nedbank
Lancet
sigma
SocialDev
Investec
The Eco Hotel
Cwenga
DMO
umvuzo-health
hc1sZS0c_400x400
Consol-logo
ASP-FIRE-PTY-Ltd

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