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Day - 15

One hour of career guidance for a girl in South Africa’s townships

The Boxgirls are changing South Africa – strong girls, safe communities The Boxgirls are changing South Africa – strong girls, safe communities

One hour of career guidance for a girl in South Africa’s townships
Day - 15
Career guidance and violence prevention in the townships

"I am a tool for change. I want to fight HIV and AIDS, I want to fight poverty, I want to fight crime, I want to fight violence, in my community and around the world!" The young Boxgirls participant Faith proudly presents her self-written poem. In sports and leadership workshops, the girls learn to confidently stand up for their rights and to actively shape their environment. Education and career guidance are not a matter of course for girls in the townships. The educational content taught at Boxgirls helps the girls to pursue their academic and professional goals. "We also talk to the girls about gender-based violence and give them ways to de-escalate potentially violent situations," explains Andiswa Madikane. The project supervisor sees herself not only as a trainer, but above all as a mentor to the girls. "We organize events in the community that focus on women's rights and where the girls present the skills they have learned." Only when the local communities are involved and the messages are communicated to family members and teachers can lasting change really be achieved. "I often think of a girl who lives on my street. Her name is Andisiwe. I knew her as a shy, very introverted person. Since she has been part of the Boxgirls project, she has gained self-confidence, speaks openly about her views and enjoys going to school." Enjoying school and sport as well as education for social change form our motto: Strong girls. Safe communities.

Career guidance and violence prevention in the townships
need
Career guidance and violence prevention for girls in the townships of South Africa.
activity
Instructors provide career and training perspectives as well as social skills at the Boxgirls After School Club twice a week.
Measurable performance
165 girls gain important knowledge about protection from sexual violence and improve their school performance.
Result
The girls’ self-confidence and career prospects are strengthened and enable them to pursue their academic and personal goals.
Systemically relevant impact
Women in the townships should be given the opportunity to participate socially and politically and the social role of women in the communities should be strengthened.
background

Unequal gender relations, which occur worldwide, were exacerbated in South Africa by the colonial legacy and the apartheid system, to the detriment of women. Aggression and brutality are socially viewed as signs of male strength, while weakness is perceived as a female trait. Gender-based violence is one of the most serious problems in South Africa, especially in the townships. For example, 40% of girls in Khayelitsha schools said they had already been victims of sexual violence.

Estimates suggest that only around one in nine cases is reported. Although two laws were passed in South Africa in 1998 and 2007 to protect women from violence, they are poorly implemented in practice. The authoritarian structures are further entrenched by economic imbalances and poor educational and career opportunities for women. The black population was particularly oppressed as part of the apartheid policy. Girls in the townships are therefore doubly disadvantaged to this day: because of their skin color and their gender. Schools still lack resources and qualified teaching staff. The direct consequence of this is low educational standards and a lack of career opportunities, especially for young girls and women.

Khayelitsha / Cape Town, Western Cape
Day - 15 Day - 15
The good deed

Through the career guidance and violence prevention programs of the Boxgirls After School Club, the girls learn de-escalation strategies for potentially dangerous situations and gain valuable insights into future career opportunities. By involving local communities in the project, the values of empowering women that are taught are also carried out to the outside world and thus have a greater impact. This can have a decisive impact on traditional social structures. The social skills they learn help the girls to solve problems constructively, pursue their academic and professional goals and better protect themselves from gender-based violence.

AboutSouth Africa
Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)
Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)
Capital city
54 956 900
54 956 900
Population
5 727 USD
5 727 USD
Gross domestic product per capita per year
116
116
Human Development Index (Human Development Index)

Surf tourism meets townships, exploitative apartheid policies are followed by dazzling figures like Nelson Mandela – in short: South Africa is a country of stark contrasts.
About the organization and further information

organization

CamP Group gGmbH

website

boxgirls.org.za/

Initiative for Transparent Civil Society

Further links