Strengthening victim empowerment through participatory dialogue

This policy brief describes the revitalisation of the Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP) forum meetings in the Western Cape, South Africa. In partnership with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), the Department of Social Development (DSD) transitioned from conventional meetings to a participatory dialogue methodology to improve collaboration between government and NGO partners providing services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

• Conventional VEP forum meetings were ineffective due to duplication with other coordinating forums, inconsistent participation, and a tendency to focus on operational details and organisational minutiae rather than strategic needs and victim-centred services.
• The revitalised approach, funded by the Hanns Seidel Foundation and facilitated by the ISS, replaced standardised meetings with a workshop format featuring plenary sessions, small group discussions, and creative activities. This shift allowed participants to raise issues without fear and absorb dissenting voices through a commitment to 'deep democracy'.
• The use of 'play' and creative exercises, such as using plasticine and coloured paper, served as a tool to break down professional, gender, age, race, and class barriers, creating a safe space for participants to move beyond habitual thinking.
• An empathy-generating exercise called 'Landswork' helped government and NGO participants understand each other's systemic constraints. It highlighted that while NGOs struggle with funding and capacity, government staff often feel 'straight-jacketed' by bureaucracy and unfilled posts.
• The participatory methodology improved intersectoral collaboration by 'unblocking' bureaucratic impediments and accelerating problem-solving. These efforts contributed to the national Strategic Plan on Gender-based Violence and Femicide.
• Despite its success, the approach faced limitations, including the rigid hierarchical structure of entities like the South African Police Service (SAPS), the limited number of representatives the methodology can accommodate, and the fact that some participants remained skeptical of the unconventional process.

APA

Parker, W. (2020). Strengthening victim empowerment through participatory dialogue. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policy-breif-150.pdf

Chicago

Parker, Warren. Strengthening victim empowerment through participatory dialogue. Institute for Security Studies, 2020. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policy-breif-150.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Parker |first1=Warren |title=Strengthening victim empowerment through participatory dialogue |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2020 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policy-breif-150.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{parker2020strengthening, author = {Parker, Warren}, title = {{Strengthening victim empowerment through participatory dialogue}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2020}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policy-breif-150.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }