Worldwide, almost one third (30%) of all women who have been in a relationship have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner. Gender -based violence (GBV), in its multiple forms, is endemic in communities across South Africa, including intimate part- ner violence, rape, and femicide. Migrants, especially fe- male migrants, often face heightened risks of violence in transit and in destination countries due to factors such the inability to access services (or fear of doing so), lan- guage barriers, and the lack of options or perceived op- tions for reporting. Research has also long shown that experiences of GBV are intimately connected to in- creased sexual and reproductive health (SRH) risks.

Thandi’s story takes place in 2018 in Nkomazi, South Afri- ca. On a day like many others, Change Agent Thabiso, accompanied by one of the project’s Change Agent men- tors, Joana, was carrying out his routine door-to-door health promotion work. However, when they knocked on the door of one woman, Thandi (not her real name), they found her inside, injured and bleeding from a very recent and serious head wound.

Four years earlier, in 2014, Thandi had met a South Afri- can man called Vuyo, when he was visiting her country, the Kingdom of Eswatini. During his time there, Vuyo told Thandi he loved her. He promised he would take care of her if she would come live with him in South Africa. 

“He was so convincing,” Thandi reflected. “The thought of going back to school, finding work, and getting a South African identity document greatly appealed to me.”

However, in South Africa, Thandi’s reality fell far short her own aspirations. As the years passed, the life that

Vuyo promised had failed to materialize. In 2018, four months pregnant with Vuyo’s child, Thandi finally con- fronted him about her unhappiness. Recounting the sto- ry, Joana explained, “He told her, ‘You are making a fool of me. Never ask me those things again!” Using a rock, he hit her on the head, and kicked her in the stomach. He left the house, leaving Thandi injured and bleeding.

Like many migrants, Thandi’s irregular status and a fear of being deported prevented her from even considering reporting the violence to police. Her precarious status also prevented her from going to seek care at the local hospital. Thandi felt alone, hopeless and entirely dependent on Vuyo. 

When Thabiso and Joana found Thandi, they drew on their skills and training to assist and intervene. They ex- plained to Thandi that, regardless of her irregular status, she had the right to be treated at the hospital, and the right to press charges if she wished. 

They gave her a referral letter to go to the local hospital, and accompanied her when they realized she was too frightened to go alone.

At the hospital, the doctor also reinforced with Thandi that she had a right to involve the police, and to seek protection and justice. Knowing she had support, Thandi decided to open a police case, and Vuyo was soon ar- rested. Some days later, Thandi decided to drop the charges, and Vuyo was released. Thabiso and Joana con- tinued to follow up, and reported no more violent inci- dents after that. Ultimately, Thandi left Nkomazi and returned to the Kingdom of Eswatini.

The door-to-door work of the community-based Change Agents allowed for Thandi to be reached on that day, and the ongoing training of the Change Agents equipped them with the knowledge and skills to be able to inter- vene with accurate and relevant information and support. 

More than that, the extensive work undertaken by project staff to train and sensitize key stakeholders in the community, including health care workers and the South African Police Service, helped contribute to an enabling environment in which Thandi could seek treatment with- out being turned away, and open a case to report gen- der-based violence without being arrested or deported herself. The relationships that Change Agents have built with these stakeholders have also engendered trust and communication, opening new doors to treatment, services and support for vulnerable populations. Without interventions at each of these levels, it is unlikely that Thandi would have found the support she needed to access treatment and support in her decision to report the violence she experienced. Thandi’s story also high- lights the ongoing vulnerability of many migrants to GBV — both in transit and in destination countries — particularly where legal status is irregular. It points to the need to consider GBV as an important component of SRHR- HIV programming for migrants and vulnerable populations. 

Watch a brief documentary on the work of SRHR-HIV in Southern Africa here.

For more information, please contact Francis Mulekya Bwambale fbmulekya@iom.int