1.0 Background
Violence against women and girls continues to prevail in Eswatini despite a conducive legislative and policy environment that protects all citizens against violence. Among adolescents and young women, lifetime sexual violence is the most prevalent form of violence experienced by 8.1% of girls age 13-24 years, followed by lifetime physical violence at 5% of girls of the same age.
However, it is worth noting that all types of violence experienced by girls age 13-24 years declined drastically between 2007 and 2022 potentially as a result of the GBV interventions implemented in the country.
Physical violence is common among intimate partners, with 1 in 2 women reporting to have been abused by their current or former partner. Ever married women or in union as well as women who are formerly married or were once in a union, experience the highest levels of physical violence at 66.5% and 71.8% respectively, MICS (2021-2022). Intimate partners, including husbands
and boyfriends, are the most common perpetrators of sexual violence against women. Unmarried women have lower levels of physical violence at 36.3%.
Males are more affected by physical violence (23.2% vs. 10.5%), particularly from peers. Recently, there has been a rise in violent incidents, especially in the Shiselweni region, involving the assault and harassment of women by men. Despite over two-thirds of survivors disclosing their experiences, only a quarter seek professional help (VAC 2023). Cultural tolerance and concealment of violence hinder effective response and support for survivors.
Restorative Justice in the context of gender-based violence (GBV) is an approach to justice that focuses on repairing the harm caused by violence through inclusive and participatory processes. The key aspects of restorative justice are: accountability and responsibility, healing and reparation, community involvement, and voluntary participation. Importantly, restorative justice complements the criminal justice process; it does not replace it but seeks to promote the integration of offenders back into society. This approach aims to ensure that offenders take responsibility for their actions while also facilitating their reintegration into the community, thereby fostering long-term healing and reconciliation.
It is worth noting that the National Strategy to End Violence in Eswatini (2023-2027) noted a gap in the use of Restorative Justice to facilitate healing of GBV survivors and the reintegration of offenders into society.