1. "Theologies and Violence: Promoting Life Giving Theologies on Prevention, Treatment and Healing."1

2. Regional Capacity Building, Research and Community Action,
About Sonke
Established in August 2006, now with about 80 full-time staff working in all nine provinces and about 20 countries in the region from offices in Johannesburg, Mpumalanga and Cape Town.
Five programme areas:
Advocacy,
Regional Capacity Building,
Research and Community Action,
Structural Drivers incl. Work with FBO’s,
Operations and Finance 2

3. In South and Southern Africa patriarchal norms
Context for our work: Understanding men, masculinities and HIV and AIDS.
In South and Southern Africa patriarchal norms
about manhood contribute to
high levels of domestic and sexual violence,
high levels of men’s violence against men,
high levels of alcohol consumption,
low uptake of HIV services,
Limited involvement in the care economy and,
Worrisome multiple and concurrent sexual partnerships. 3

4. Context: HIV in South Africa:
5.7 million people living with HIV and AIDS in South Africa in 2009, many more than in any other country.
National prevalence of 10-12% and 17% in age range
Nearly new infections a year in South Africa.
Girls and Women years old much more likely to be HIV infected than their male peers.
Only a third of people who need access to treatment have it and PMTCT programmes reaching only about 60%.
Burden of care borne disproportionately by women and girls
In 2008, over 250,000 South Africans died from AIDS related deaths.2 4

5. Context: Men’s Violence Against Women.
MRC study: Representative sample in EC and KZN (2009)
44% self reporting perpetrating domestic violence, 14% in last year.
28% of men self reporting having raped, 5% in the last year.
Almost one-third of women reported that they did not want to have their first sexual encounter and that they were coerced into sex.
Women who have experienced physical/sexual intimate partner violence are 54% more likely to have HIV.
Men who have perpetrated physical/sexual intimate partner violence are more than twice as likely to have HIV 5

6. Context: HIV in South Africa:
Men significantly less likely than women to use voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services and account for only 21 per cent of all clients receiving VCT,[i] and only 30 per cent of those accessing treatment.[ii]
Men access antiretroviral therapy (ART) later in the disease progression than women, and consequently access care with more compromised immune systems and at greater cost to the public health system.[iii] 6

7. Context: Violence, HIV , Alcohol and Men:
South Africa has the highest per capita alcohol consumption levels per drinker in the world
Alcohol consumption is associated with increased levels of domestic and sexual violence and greater HIV related risk taking.
Frequency of taking four/five drinks on one occasion, by sex 7

9. Why Engage Religious Leaders and Communities in GBV and HIV?
Religious leaders possess an ordained role of
leadership in their institutions and communities,
serving as role models of care and compassion
Religious leaders are well situated to address
social issues and have the capacity to bring
communities together.
Religious leaders can build from their existing
commitments to address HIV and begin to look at
the importance of confronting GBV in their
communities.

10. Problematic Theologies
Prosperity gospel selling faith healing,
Selling holy water, oil, rags,
Stigmatisation of those living with HIV,
Theologies of violence, encouraging adherence to physically ostracise those who present a different sexual orientation,
Denying people access to treatment,
Theologies that undermine and demean women
e.g. Pastor justifying marrying more than one wife,
Pastor who impregnated over 20 young women arguing it was in response to a mandate from God.

11. Theologies of Hope and Compassion
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” Micah 6:8 “The Lord, peerless is He, hath made woman and man to abide with each other in the closest companionship and to be even as a single soul. They are two helpmates, two intimate friends, who should be concerned about the welfare of each other.” —Baha'i Principles
Community Responsibility to Stand for Justice
“You are the best community that has been created from mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong.” (3:110)

12. Examples of theologies of compassion
Mark 5:25-29, - the woman with the flow of blood
Mark 5:35ff – Jesus raises a little girl from death to life...
John 8:1-11– the woman caught in adultery...

13. Theologies of Hope and Compassion cont...
“We emphasize the need to break the silence, doing so
from the pulpits of our mosques, churches, educational
institutions, and all the venues in which we may be
called to speak. We need to address the ways to deal
with the HIV/AIDS epidemic based upon our genuine
spiritual principles and our creativity, and armed with
scientific knowledge, aiming at the innovation of new
approaches to deal with this dangerous challenge.”
- Cairo Declaration of Religious Leaders in the Arab States 2004

15. Facebook: SonkeGenderJusticeNGO Twitter: @SonkeTogether
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