Midterm qualitative study of a sexual and gender-based violence prevention program for adolescent girls in South Africa

Brief Summary

Background

School-related gender-based violence is common but underreported in South Africa, often driven by harmful gender norms that leave young women and girls most at risk.

What Grassroot Soccer did

Grassroot Soccer contributed sport-based components to the Sexual Violence in Schools in South Africa program, implemented across six public schools in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. The program reached primary and secondary students aged 12–18 through structured sessions led by trained coaches over five years.

What the study found

Midline findings showed signs of positive shifts in how students talked about gender, consent, and sexual diversity, with boys increasingly challenging notions of entitlement and girls expressing greater confidence in their rights.

Why this matters

Findings suggest the program may help shift harmful gender norms among young people, supporting the broader goal of reducing gender-based violence in schools.

DETAILED SUMMARY

Importance

School-related gender based violence (SRGBV) is prevalent yet often underreported within schools in South Africa. Harmful notions of gender inequality and gender norms often fuel this, leading young women and girls to be most vulnerable.

Objective

To assess the midterm progress of the SeViSSA initiative, specifically related to vulnerabilities linked to age, and sexual and gender diversity among mixed gender adolescent students in 6 schools in Khayelitsha, South Africa.

Study details

Study design: Qualitative
Data collection tools: 42 participatory learner workshops (3 “Ignore or Explore,” 3 Storytelling, 3 Participatory Mapping per grade across schools); group reflection/discussion sessions within workshops
Participants: Mixed gender adolescent students (12-18 years), educators and school administrators, parents, and community members
Implementation setting: 6 public schools (primary and secondary) in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa (urban setting)
Study period: 2015 – 2019 (5 years) – midline report

Intervention

SeViSSA Programme, which includes Grassroot Soccer components such as SKILLZ Street, a 10-session intervention run by female coaches for adolescent girls at primary schools (Grades 6 and 7), Generation SKILLZ and Utshintsho, a set of two 7-session interventions run by male and female coaches in mixed gender groups of adolescents in grades 8 and 10.

Results

Notable shifts observed in gender norms and power relations. Boys began to challenge previous notions of male sexual entitlement: “You cannot force matters. You have to respect her decision”
Girls showed resistance to male dominance: “Just because you love him, it doesn’t mean you have to sleep with him…These are my rights I’m practicing”
How students talked about sexual and gender diversity shifted towards more support and normalization
Overall, learners, parents, and educators responded positively to the program

Conclusions and implications

Midline findings suggest improvements in harmful gender norms.
Findings suggest integrating early intervention for SRGBV, addressing the vulnerability of boys and LGBTI, and supporting educators with more resources and clear guidelines.

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Citation

Year: 2019

Authors: Mokooane P, Letsela L, Kodisang P

Mokooane P, Letsela L, Kodisang P. Progress in implementing a Sexual Violence Reduction Programme to ensure safer learning environments within schools in Khayelitsha, Western Cape [conference presentation]. Presented at: 9th SA AIDS Conference; 2019 Jun 12; Durban, South Africa.