In Africa, to dare to come forward, speak out and denounce such crimes as gender based violence

is a true act of courage. This is because survivors of sexual violence often face deep rooted stigma.

It may occur at a personal level or within family or community, but also at an institutional level,

in the judicial system. Feelings of guilt and shame fueled by many widespread misconceptions

often discourage victims from talking about their experiences.

Cases of GBV are hugely under-reported. The world bank research estimates that only 7% of

women who have ever experienced sexual and gender based violence have reported to a formal

source such as the police, health systems or social services. Survivor’s willingness to report

gender based violence is often undermined by several societal and structural barriers including

social stigma and shame, distrust of institutions, fear of retaliation by the perpetrator, lack of

awareness and access to referral services, and in several cultural settings, high tolerance towards violence.

Under-reporting is detrimental in many ways as not only does it limit our understanding of the

actual magnitude of SGBV, but it could weaken criminal deterrence and perpetuate incidence of

such crimes. In recognition of this, Badili Africa patnerned with Heinrich Boll Foundation to

innovate in addressing the gaps in relation to under-reporting, the burden of social stigma and

shame and lack of awareness and access to referral services.