VZCZCXRO7447
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHCO #0328 2081334
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271334Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY COTONOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1049
INFO RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1502
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0974
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS COTONOU 000328 
 
PRETORIA FOR JTHOMPSON 
PARIS FOR ARS (DWINTON) 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/PD (TITUS, LISENBY), AF/W (JKNIGHT, ACOOK), INL 
(LSMALLS), DOJ/OPDAT (JSILVERWOOD) 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL SOCI KWMN BN
SUBJECT: BENIN: WJEI LEADS BENINESE DELEGATION ON STUDY TOUR OF 
SOUTH AFRICA'S ANTI-GBV FACILITIES. 
 
¶1. DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY: As part of the Women's Justice and 
Empowerment Initiative (WJEI), DOJ/OPDAT organized a study tour of 
South Africa for a Beninese delegation comprised of magistrates, 
representatives of the Justice, Health, and Family Ministries, and 
NGO representatives.  The study tour was paid for by DOJ/OPDAT and 
USAID Benin WJEI funds, with contributions from USAID Southern 
Africa and the South African government. 
 
¶2. DATE OF ACTIVITY: July 6 - 10, 2009. 
 
¶3. PROGRAM JUSTIFICATION/OBJECTIVES: The WJEI in Benin has been 
encouraging the Beninese government to become more proactive in the 
fight against gender-based violence (GBV).  Specifically, the WJEI 
Benin team has lobbied the Beninese government to adopt an 
integrated approach to fighting GBV in which the different 
government ministries charged with law enforcement, justice, health 
care, and social services collaborate on a common strategy and then 
pool their resources for the implementation of said strategy.  A 
common and successful example of such an integrated approach is the 
"one-stop shop" model where victims of GBV can file a police report, 
meet with a prosecutor, receive medical treatment, and obtain social 
services all under one roof.  South Africa, with its Thuthuzela Care 
Centers (TCCs), is one country that has successfully pursued such an 
integrated approach to combating GBV.  The goal of this study tour 
was to educate the Beninese delegation about this model as a way of 
encouraging them to adopt it. 
 
¶4. AUDIENCE REACHED: The delegation was composed of high-level 
representatives from the Ministries of Family, Justice, and Health, 
the presidents of two of Benin's eight Judicial Jurisdictions of 
First Instance, and two representatives from the NGO CARE 
International, which is USAID Benin's implementing partner for the 
WJEI. 
 
¶5. RESULT/IMPACT: Excellent.  The study tour gave the Beninese 
delegation the opportunity to learn first-hand about South Africa's 
integrated approach to combating GBV.  Representatives from South 
Africa's National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the NPA's Sexual 
Offences and Community Affairs (SOCA) Unit, the South African Police 
Service (SAPS), the Department of Corrections, and the Ministries of 
Justice, Social Development, Health, Education, and Finance all 
presented to the Beninese delegation on their contributions to South 
Africa's anti-GBV model.  The delegation also visited three 
Thuthuzela Care Centers, a battered women's shelter, a sexual 
offenses court, and the South African Constitutional Court.  At each 
site, the members of the Beninese delegation were able to exchange 
with the professionals who worked there.  By the end of the study 
tour, the Beninese delegation was convinced of the efficacy of the 
South African integrated model and was convinced that it could be 
replicated in Benin. 
 
¶6. NON-USG SOURCES OF IN-COUNTRY FUNDING/IN KIND SUPPORT: 
SOCA helped organize the site visits and provided the transportation 
for them, as well as hosted the delegation at their headquarters. 
The above-mentioned South African agencies and ministries also gave 
presentations to the delegation and provided copies of training 
manuals used to train forensic nurses and police officers in sexual 
crimes investigations 
 
¶7. QUALITY OF USG SUPPORT: Excellent.  USAID Southern Africa, and 
Jill Thompson in particular, were essential to the organization of 
this study tour.  Ms. Thompson, along with her WJEI South Africa 
implementing partner RTI, planned a first rate series of 
presentations and site visits.  United States Embassy Pretoria also 
extended a warm welcome to the Beninese delegation. 
 
BOUSTANI