In 1997, the Soul City Institute engaged in a partnership with the National Network on Violence Against Women (NNVAW) in an effort to address the problems of domestic violence and relationship rape. The goals of the partnership, which focussed on advocacy and community mobilisation efforts, were to:

• convey information on women's rights, foster public discussion, and shift attitudes, social norms, and practices related to gender-based violence - in part through television and radio drama series
• connect audiences to help through a toll-free helpline
• develop printed training materials on gender-based violence for counsellors, police, judiciary, and health workers
• promote individual and community action
• advocate for legislation to create a supportive environment for change

Main Communication Strategies
One key activity was the development of scripts for both a radio and television drama series highlighting the issue of violence against women. In the story, Matlakala is emotionally and physically abused by her husband, which has adverse consequences for her own and her children's well-being. With the support of friends and colleagues and through the helpline, she reclaims her life free from violence.

This series was informed by the partnership's efforts to monitor the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act (DVA), which was to be passed into legislation by the end of 1998. Efforts to support the DVA included direct lobbying of government ministers and officials (letters, phone calls, faxes, emails, and meetings) and indirect pressure applied through the mobilisation of communities and publicity in the news media. Partners were trained to develop and hone advocacy skills and to develop a strategy for the campaign. Soul City also held a workshop for journalists associated with its partner newspapers based on the resource book developed as part of the project (Violence Against Women for the Media) to help improve the quality of coverage given to the issue. Some of the celebrity actors in the series had experienced domestic violence personally or were abusive themselves; they told their stories publicly. NNVAW hosted rallies, marches, and community meetings to generate support.

Largely as a result of pressure from the campaign, the DVA was implemented in December 1999, over a year after it was passed into law. Organisations within the NNVAW are currently monitoring the way in which the DVA is being implemented to ensure compliance.

The partnership also worked to help unlock donor funding for training of the police service to assist government in expediting the implementation process. To this end, the partners also provided copies of the drama series to the trainers, who were able to use the materials as part of the training course.

A toll-free hot-line provided crisis counselling and referral to community-based support structures. The caller is connected to NNVAW member organisations and other structures that provide support services in that particular community.