Today, environmental degradation, social conflict and social strife, poverty, HIV/AIDS, etc. – all of them resulting from or linked to bad governance – have become more of a security concern than the traditional military antagonisms that pitted nations against each other. The main threats to international peace and security are rooted in situations within states rather than between states, and this is especially prevalent in the African context.
South Africa’s National Credit Act has attracted the attention of policymakers worldwide who are keen to prevent reckless lending practices. The NCR is already assisting neighbouring Namibia to develop similar legislation.
Africa speaks up on Climate Change is an appeal about the threat climate change poses to Africa. Immediate political action is needed. The film Hotspot Africa shows how severe the problems really are.
With a combination of background articles and opinion pieces the Zimbabwe Elections 2008 Dossier aimed to contribute to a better understanding of the events around the 2008 elections in Zimbabwe.
Leonie Joubert, a renowned journalist and photographer, reports on the impact of climate change in South Africa. Her essay is accompanied by striking photographs of South Africa’s vulnerable landscapes and of the people depending on them for their livelihoods.
Perspectives is a publication of the regional office of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung in Africa. With this new publication, we intend to let experts from Africa express their views about current political issues on the continent.
This issue of Perspectives provides insight into country-specific challenges and controversies with regards to women’s access to justice in selected sub-Saharan African states.
On the 10th of September 2013, representatives from civil society organizations and government officials attended the launch of the third and final shadow report that the Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre (TLAC) and the Heinrich Böll Foundation (HBF) have undertaken in their “Strengthening the State’s Response to Gender Based Violence” project.
This report sets out the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act and assesses whether problems with the implementation of this legislation are still being faced by profiling the experiences of 151 people applying for protection orders at nine courts in Johannesburg and East Rand and seeking assistance from the police on domestic violence matters.
This issue discusses the diverse challenges women from across the continent face in terms of their land rights. It substantiates the need for interventions that reach beyond the provision of legal access to land rights if the aim of women’s economic empowerment is to be realised.
