Ms Yates' extensive legal career spans strategic litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and policy reform. She has led key structural design frameworks for the South African Department of Land Affairs, advocating for marginalised communities, women's land rights, and disability integration.  She has served as gender justice coordinator with Oxfam in Tanzania, the South African government, and Nkuzi Development Association, a South African land organisation focusing specifically on farm workers, land rights, and land reform.

Ms Yates steps into the role at a pivotal moment for CSVR, as the organisation implements its 2025–2029 five-year strategy. Marking 37 years since its founding, CSVR has set out an ambitious agenda built around five strategic objectives: deepening the integration of transitional justice and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS); advancing African thought leadership so that solutions developed on the continent help shape global discourse; expanding access to reparations and healing for victims and survivors of human rights violations; strengthening accountability through active citizenry and responsive institutions; and building a more effective, efficient and sustainable organisation.

The strategy responds to a global context marked by democratic backsliding, rising authoritarianism, gender-based violence and femicide, climate-linked conflict, shrinking civic space and growing distrust fuelled by misinformation. Against this backdrop, CSVR intends to strengthen its strategic objectives, grow partnerships across the continent and globally, and continue building the organisation's long-term sustainability through diversified funding, institutional memory and investment in staff wellbeing. Ms Yates will play a central role in steering this agenda.

Ms Yates noted upon her appointment that "I am looking forward to taking on this exciting new challenge, working with the staff and Board of CSVR to ensure that the organisation continues to deliver the highest quality research, evidence-based policy inputs, community engagement, and transitional justice leadership in areas where violence has left legacies of stagnation and instability."

The CSVR Board of Directors looks forward to Ms Yates' leadership as the organisation continues to advance violence prevention and reconciliation in Africa and beyond.

Sincerely,
Tefo Raditapole
Chair of the Board

En outre, ce manuel est un guide sur la manière de concevoir des programmes axés sur les jeunes, et comprend des concepts de base et des thèmes clés qui devraient généralement être considérés lors de la conception et de la facilitation d'une formation dispensée aux jeunes sur la SMSPS et la PJTUA.

This manual does not include a comprehensive account of all MHPSS challenges and appropriate interventions. CSOs should aim to adapt the manual to their specific contexts to ensure that programmes are appropriate and meaningful to their intended community.

The manual provides guidance on how to design programmes that are youth focused, and includes basic concepts and key themes that should typically be considered when designing and facilitating training with youth on MHPSS and the AUTJP.

The Forum revealed both progress and persistent challenges in addressing GBV. Discussions highlighted systemic drivers such as patriarchy, harmful cultural norms, economic dependency, digital exclusion and weak implementation of existing policies. Participants underscored the need to shift from crisis response to prevention, to strengthen survivor-centred justice and to expand inclusive approaches that recognise the intersecting vulnerabilities of women, youth, LGBTQIA+ persons, people with disabilities and rural communities.

Five thematic pillars guided deliberations: access to justice, education systems, overcoming funding gaps, technology and digital tools, and men as partners in prevention. Central to all these was the call for structural transformation, collective accountability and long-term investment in community-driven solutions. As one participant reflected: 'Behind every statistic is a shattered life; [hence] prevention should be on all our agendas.'

Good practices showcased during the Forum – from mobile courts and community paralegals to youth led advocacy, survivor networks, faith-based partnerships and innovative digital tools – illustrated what is possible when responses are inclusive, well resourced and locally owned. Participants agreed that stronger regional collaboration, flexible funding models and political will are essential to scale such innovations and close persistent gaps.

This report consolidates the key challenges, promising practices, and strategic recommendations from the Forum. It serves as both a record of collective insight and a roadmap for governments, civil society, donors, and communities to strengthen
prevention and response to GBV in Southern Africa.

According to reports, armed assailants abducted 303 school children, aged between 10 and 18, and 12 teachers from the boarding school. This is not an isolated event. Rather, it is part of a long-term pattern of violence targeting women and girls characterised by abductions, forced marriage, sexual violence, and terror-driven coercion. Such atrocities have become tragically common across northern Nigeria, devastating families and destabilising entire communities.

This mass abduction occurs on the eve of the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a period dedicated to mobilising global action to end violence against women and girls. Instead of progress, we are confronted with yet another painful reminder that gender-based violence remains an escalating human rights crisis across the continent.

The abduction of these young girls is not just an attack on their future; it is an affront to our shared humanity. As we mark the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, we are reminded that our commitments are meaningless if girls cannot attend school safely. CSVR urges urgent, coordinated action to ensure the immediate return of these children and their teachers, safeguard all girls across the region, and offer psychosocial support to families facing overwhelming fear and uncertainty. Africa must unite – governments, civil society, and communities – to end these cycles of violence against women and girls,

CSVR calls for the following:

1. Immediate and Decisive Leadership CSVR urges the Nigerian Government to mobilise all available security, intelligence, and investigative resources to urgently rescue and securely return the abducted girls. We call on the African Union, ECOWAS, and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights to provide coordinated support and oversight.

2. Solidarity and Collective Action Across Africa and Beyond

We call for increased solidarity between state and non-state actors, including civil society, women's rights organisations, humanitarian agencies, and community networks. Fragmented responses encourage perpetrators. Unified, coordinated action is crucial to preventing further atrocities.

3. Protection, Mental Health, and Psychosocial Support

CSVR emphasises the urgent need for:

• Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) for families of abducted girls and for the girls who have escaped and reunited with their families.

• Strengthened protection measures for schools and communities at risk, and

• Immediate and long-term survivor support once all abducted girls and teachers are rescued, including healthcare, social reintegration and educational support.

4. Long-Term Prevention and Structural Solutions Beyond emergency response, Nigeria and regional partners must invest in long-term strategies that:

• Build community resilience, safety and security

• Address drivers of violence and extremist recruitment

• End gender inequality, and

• Protect girls' education in at-risk regions and communities as a fundamental right.

CSVR stands in solidarity with the abducted girls, their families, and all Nigerian communities affected by this ongoing violence. We urge African and global leaders to act decisively and compassionately to bring an end to these atrocities and safeguard the rights and dignity of women and girls everywhere.