The Gender Centre was formed by a group of women human rights activists who, in the period after the Vienna Conference on Human Rights and processes leading up to the Beijing Conference, found a gap in the availability of data to support assertions about women’s human rights issues. Gender Centre was therefore established to undertake research on gender issues, provide data for effective lobbying and policy advocacy. With the Leading from the South grant, the organisation will reduce the incidence of violence against women and girls by advocating for increased allocation of resources to the DOVVSU to ensure effective implementation of the law leading to an improved response to victims.