Rapid Implementation Evaluation of the 16 Days Campaign

Introduction 1.1 The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign (the Campaign) is a globally recognised annual campaign aimed at combating gender-based violence (GBV) and violence against women and children. In South Africa, the Campaign has been implemented since 1998 and has been adapted to address the country's specific context of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) and violence against women and children (VAWC). 1.2 The Terms of Reference for the evaluation called for a rapid implementation evaluation of the Campaign to assess whether the Campaign has been implemented as planned. This evaluation is focused solely on activities undertaken for the Campaign, not broader GBVF efforts, and is limited to the implementers of the Campaign (it does not include the perspectives of the beneficiaries). 1.3 This evaluation was guided by Michael Quinn Patton’s collaborative utilisation-focused evaluation theory. This theory is based on the premise that the success of an evaluation is judged by its usefulness to the evaluation users. The evaluation used a mix of elements from two types of evaluations – design and implementation evaluations, while research questions help discern what the evaluation sought to unpack about the performance and outcomes of the Campaign. 1.4 The evaluation comprised five key stages: (1) inception and planning; (2) literature review including preliminary interviews, benchmarking and document review; (3) development of the evaluation framework and theory of change (ToC); (4) fieldwork with a range of stakeholders including national and provincial departments, Civil Society Organisation (CSOs), and other relevant stakeholders; and (5) analysis and reporting. 1.5 The evaluation had four key limitations: First, several national government departments did not respond to interview requests. Second, documentation on Campaign activities varied significantly between both national and provincial departments. Desktop analysis was used to overcome this inconsistency where possible. Third, the research approach for CSO interviews required adaptation due to time constraints on the part of CSOs. Lastly, the timing of fieldwork coincided with elections and subsequent changes in government, thus limiting discussions with certain departments. 2. Literature Review 2.1 Violence against women and children remains a global issue rooted in gender inequality and harmful social norms.