Current Projects

Working with women students (and staff collaborators) from Stellenbosch University, this research project carried out over 2020-2021 uses an innovative, adapted form of Photovoice 2.0 to explore understandings of campus rape culture at this university. The research project focuses on the drivers of campus rape culture, as experienced and understood by women students at SU and collected 180 voicenotes and 120 photos in total. This entails looking at dominant constructions of masculinities and femininities, social influences on gender identity formation, and the practices that impact these. There is a focus on the constructions, influences and practices that promote campus rape culture, but also on those that can counter it. URDR outputs that highlight the need for this research include media articles, discussion pieces and journal articles. and a website launched in September 2021 features its key findings in an online exhibition and can be accessed at www.campusrapeculture.co.za.

This 2020-2022 project included a number of consecutive phases. It developed a conceptual framework for practitioner-based learning for the UN Trust Fund, producing a global synthesis review across over 100 project evaluations. URDR researchers designed a synthesis report including recommended research priorities for ten thematic briefs in participatory collaboration with UN Trust Fund projects and an expert panel on preventing VAW/G globally. In phase 2, we analysed, synthesised and authored two of these ten prevention research briefs on intersectional approaches to prevent VAWG and on the roles of faith-based and traditional actors to prevent VAWG. These were done participatory collaboration with the UN Trust Fund global project network. They involved a series of virtual practitioner focus group discussions, detailed analytical reviews and case study vignettes developed from the UN Trust Fund’s extensive monitoring and evaluation reports. Work to promote and complete this prevention series remains ongoing

In 2020, the URDR led the analysis and evaluation of practitioner documents from empirical mapping projects in Brazil, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Afghanistan to identify, assess and deliver a research report which identified good practice case studies within selected faith based organisations across diverse faiths and regions for the roles of parenting support, early childhood care and spiritual development in preventing violence against children. It worked in collaboration with the Consortium on Nurturing Values and Spirituality in Early Childhood for the Prevention of Violence to identify and document promising faith models operating in practice and to contribute toward a larger toolkit on this issue.

This research used a qualitative methodology to engage five Christian church denominations in South Africa to identify changes taking place within some faith spaces for queer inclusion and affirmation. It prioritises the voices and stories of LGBTIQ people of faith as key generators of evidence in the field if exclusion of queer bodies is to be addressed. A 2019 report entitled “From Exclusion to Embrace” has been published as well as media articles on this research and church sermons with dialogues between researchers and queer participants.  

In 2020, a second phase started that included the development and piloting of a two-day human sexuality workshop for inclusive churches, faith spaces and individuals. It brings queer and straight voices together in safe spaces for experiential storytelling. This work is being done in collaboration with local partner Genderworks.