The project itself helps to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms of survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) and of persons with disability. The project does this through creating safe communities that actively pursue social justice and protect women and girls as well as people with disability. 

It also helps to create communities that are anti-tolerant to violence as well as enable GBV survivors and people with disability to become economically active and independent.

Speaking during the steering committee meeting, EU Head of Cooperation, Eva-Maria Engdahl, said, through this project, the EU was very proud to contribute to the implementation of Eswatini’s national policies that share the same values and principles of EU strategies on gender issues and rights of persons with disabilities.

Engdahl said gender-based violence, in its different forms, was recognised globally as one of the most widespread and persistent violations of human rights.

“Due to the alarming increase in the violence against women, GBV has become a national emergency also in Eswatini. The inclusion of people with disabilities is also a key issue to make social justice real and to concretise the principle of leaving no one behind,” said Engdahl.

Amongst the project’s many achievements so far, 64 survivors of GBV have been received in shelters across the country and these survivors have also received counselling as well as educational and medical support.