Counteracting discrimination against cultural or ethnical minorities and promoting gender equity is a central pillar of the foundation’s work.
Despite the fact that partner countries in the region, Namibia and South Africa, have progressive constitutions based on tolerance and equal rights for all persons living in their societies, awareness for these constitutional rights is not yet deeply anchored in all tiers of society.
This becomes more critical as state institutions are often not able or willing to ensure protection of all social groups against hatred crimes, violence, discrimination and prejudice.
The foundation believes that a democratic culture can only be fostered if equality and fully participation is guaranteed and enjoyed by all members of society. Social integration is a fundamental requirement for the promotion of social cohesion.
For more information, please contact Paula Assubuji, Human Rights Programme Manager: paula'at'boell.org.za
- In this publication, the Heinrich Böll Foundation presents some of its experiences, both setbacks and successes. It is just a small sample of HBS' work all over the world. HBS is very much aware that its political and financial contributions are often only part of a larger network; yet its work does make a difference – for more gender justice. more»
A simplified guide to your housing and eviction rights – - Many women are evicted from their homes by their husbands, partners, family members or the owners of their homes. Often, women are evicted with their children and do not have anywhere else to live. The Women's Legal Centre, therefore, created this simplified guide to assist women in learning about their legal rights to housing and their rights in terms of evictions. more»
Gender Mainstreaming – Possibilities and Limits of a Radical Social Concept – Gender Mainstreaming needs to be taken more seriously and a topic for society as a whole. Besides legal frameworks, we need bottom-up policies, a strengthening of initiatives that target equality and more men on board to fundamentally change the relationship between the genders. more»
Women on Farms Project – The foundation, together with its partner the Women on Farms Project, aims at addressing gender based violence in farming communities by assisting women on farms to claim their legal rights. more»
Perspectives #01/2009 discusses current migration dynamics in Southern Africa from a human rights perspective. more»
The Gendered Nature of Xenophobia in South Africa – After the democratisation of South Africa in 1994, the influx of migrants from other African countries increased dramatically. Despite reconciliation initiatives, old patterns of racism (deeply rooted in the country’s apartheid past) combined with new forms of discrimination, such as xenophobia, have played out through the country’s period of political transition. more»
Addressing Violence Against Foreign Nationals in South Africa – This report, commissioned by IOM and conducted by the Forced Migration Studies Programme (FMSP) at Wits University in Johannesburg, outlines the political economy of violence against outsiders and the immediate triggers and factors that helped translate xenophobic attitudes into the violent attacks witnessed in May 2008. more»