AFRICA SEXUAL HARASSMENT/ASSAULT RESPONSE PREVENTION (A-SHARP
In 2022 IHRC-RFT Africa Region HQ established it’s flagship Secretariat for Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services that works to prevent and eliminate sexual violence and promote healing and empowerment for people of all genders and ages who are affected by rape, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, stalking and sexual harassment. This therefore serves as IHRC’s recognized desk Sexual Harassment/Assault Response Prevention (A-SHARP) acknowledged by the IHRC International authorities as a standard platform for responding to issues of gender violence in Africa.
Sexual assault, at its core, is a devastating abuse of power. It affects people of every age, race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, socioeconomic background, and religion. IHRC as a human rights body resolved that it is the responsibility of it’s members to stand up and speak out against it, not only to improve the laws and services available to survivors, but also to change the culture and attitudes that allow sexual assault to proliferate. Our vision is to work toward a society that upholds every person’s right to live free from sexual violence. The IHRC RFT in the African countries is pursuing strategies to ensure that institutions and communities are committed to preventing sexual assault and sexual harassment, supporting survivors, and holding offenders accountable. Indeed, the IHRC-RFT stands with survivors of sexual violence, and is committed to alleviating the public health crisis of sexual assault.
The A-SHARP helps in the sensitization work to bring a whole-of-government approach to gender equity in every policy. The IHRC partners with several groups to help coordinate the A-SHARP activities especially in organizing plenary sessions that produce recommendations to help guide the development of new policies and enforcement measures in keeping with the visions to improving the response to, and prevention of, sexual assault and sexual harassment in Africa. Many courageous survivors and dedicated advocates on this subject have actively enriched the sessions.
A-SHARP secretariat is dedicated to creating a society where sexual violence — including sexual assault and sexual harassment is not tolerated, where survivors are supported, and where all people have an opportunity to thrive without fear of abuse or assault.
The A-SHARP secretariat has a mandate to organize the appointment of A-SHARP Goodwill Ambassadors who are persons with proven track records of keeping with the visions geared towards attaining the objectives for setting up the A-SHARP. The appointment is to encourage them to continue to demonstrate strong leadership and participate in the IHRC’s initiatives for advocacy against domestic violence and sexual assault services. In accordance to such appointments in humanitarian diplomacy, international development and United Nations humanitarian assistance, the A-SHARP partnership agreement is entered into by the appointed Goodwill Ambassadors. Below is a draft of the A-SHARP partnership agreement.
