Preliminary evidence of promise of a sexual violence risk reduction intervention for female students in South African tertiary education institutions

Campus sexual violence risk reduction and resistance interventions have been developed and tested among female students in the global North and proven effective. Evidence-based interventions to prevent sexual violence tested amongst female students in the global South and in South African campuses are lacking. We present preliminary evidence of promise of Ntombi Vimbela! (NV!), a sexual violence prevention intervention piloted amongst first year female students in eight purposively selected campuses in South Africa. Focus group discussions were conducted with 118 female students who participated in NV! workshops. Most students found the content of NV! relevant and reported having experienced its positive effects. They perceived that NV! empowered them with skills to assess and deal with sexual assault risky situations. NV! changed their attitudes and beliefs about gender, shifted their acceptance of rape myths and beliefs, improved communication skills, enhanced self-esteem, and confidence to defend oneself in risky sexual assault situations. Few participants were unsure whether they will be able to use the skill in real life. These findings indicate a range of short-term positive outcomes which we anticipate would reduce the risk of sexual assault among first year female students. This suggests that NV! should be subject to further evaluation.

Automated summary

Research has shown a lack of tested sexual violence prevention interventions in the global South and South African campuses. However, the Ntombi Vimbela (NV!) program showed promising results in initial pilots at eight schools in South Africa, empowering female students to assess and deal with risky sexual assault situations. Participants reported that NV! not only changed their attitudes towards gender but also improved their self-esteem and confidence.