Page 75 - SAMRC AnnualReport 2025-26

P E R FOR M A NC E I N FOR M A T I ON

South Africa, Rwanda, and Kenya. The Disability establishing an important precedent for lower
Preparedness Project strengthened national tools courts. This demonstrated the Unit’s influence in
for disability-inclusive health facility assessments, shaping not only policy but also judicial practice to
while the UKRI-funded INCLUDE project expanded advance justice for women.
arts-based participatory methodologies to deepen
understanding of violence experienced by women Across all projects, the Unit amplified its impact
through partnerships with government departments,
with disabilities. Breaking the Silence supported universities, multilateral organisations, and
inclusive sexuality education across Southern Africa community-based organisations. Its commitment to
and Southeast Asia through practitioner training participatory, arts-based, and peer-led approaches
and the co-production of new educational content. ensured that knowledge generation remained
The RASP project developed a shorter, contextually grounded in community realities and positioned for
relevant risk assessment tool to identify women future scale-up.
at heightened risk of intimate partner femicide.
Through literature reviews, cognitive testing, expert Building Capacity Through
review, and multi-site pilots, two accompanying Training, Mentorship, and Support
safety plans demonstrated strong potential to Capacity development remains central to the
improve early identification, referral pathways, and Unit’s mission, with structured initiatives aimed
safety planning processes, particularly in high-risk at strengthening scientific, leadership, and
settings. professional skills among emerging scientists,
postgraduate students, and community partners.
A major milestone was the use of SAMRC femicide
research in a landmark High Court sentencing The Unit’s Emerging GHRUs (Egs) initiative evolved
judgment. For the first time, a judge relied on from a journal club into a comprehensive science
national femicide evidence as an aggravating leadership development platform offering monthly
factor in sentencing for a GBV-related murder, training facilitated by senior SAMRC scientists.

GHRU Unit Director address at NtombiVimbela! Vimbela uVikele launch.

SA M R C A N N U A L R EP O R T 2 0 2 5 / 2 0 2 6 73