This thesis is written as a case study and explores Gender-based Violence (GBV) from a
Human rights perspective. I answer part of the complex question why has the translation of
human rights norms to a local South African context not had any significant impact? The
Study uses the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) as the case for human rights norms on
GBV and Documents sourced from civil society websites as a presentation of the local
context. Through a Deductive Qualitative Content Analysis, using norm translation and
multilevel governance theory, I have carried out an analysis split into two parts: The First
relates to the International human rights norms is an analysis of the BPfA, in which I explore
what the international human rights norms on GBV are and how where they negotiated and
agreed upon.
The second part is an analysis of the existing norms in South Africa and the resistance to and
the translation of the international human rights norms on GBV using documents published
by civil society actors. This part of the analysis explores how existing toxic masculinity
norms with roots in South Africa's colonial and apartheid history, are creating resistance to
the norm translation process. It also explores how the state response to GBV is constructed
and analyzes the issue with this through an MLG perspective identifying issues with
accountability, inclusion, and transparency and how this affects the norm translation process
as well as what it means for the role of the civil society.
The Study Concludes that while translation into discourse has been done through the human
rights norms in the BPfA, and the South African government has further translated the norms
into law, by creating a very progressive legislation, ther is an Issue with the translation into
implementation, which con contribute to explaining why we have not seen a significant
improvement in the rates of GBV in South Africa. This is a combination of many factors one
being existing toxic masculinity norms of male dominance, power over women and a right to
womens bodies, that are existent across the different structures of the South African Society.
The problems with accountability, inclusion and transparenchy that are hindering a effective
response by having a lack of cooperation between sector. These are all factors that contribute
to an implementation gap and impede the translation of international human rights norms on
GBV into implementation in the South African Context.