A few words
About Us
History
Our story starts way back in 2011.
SRWA was formed on the 08th March 2011 and registered in October 2013. It was started by a group of rural women who came together after experiencing escalating injustices, closed women space for association and participation, violence against fellow women and the violation of environmental rights in Swaziland. Women and girls face poverty, discrimination, gender based violence and are the most hard-hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
These women went to mobilize other women around the country through door to door campaigns, public meetings and community dialogues and debates. SRWA supports women’s’ projects by building their capacity on self-help projects and income generating initiatives. These are also used as forums for discussion on issues affecting their daily lives and how they can be addressed and overcome.
SRWA thrive to dismantle patriarchy, reduce Gender Based Violence, Femicide, eradicate poverty, seek climate justice and achieve Gender Equality for women in rural communities. This is in live with achieving SDG 1 and 5 which is to end poverty and achieve gender equality. SRWA works nationally and in all four regions of the Kingdom of Eswatini with an estimated membership of 20,000 women. SRWA has 170 Community Based Organisations (CBOs) as affiliates and 80 women community organizers who conducts community dialogues, group educational sessions and door-to-door sessions on women’s rights and empowerment. SRWA membership comprises feminists, rural women, sex workers, survivors of GBV, women with disabilities, and widows. Swaziland Rural Women’s Assembly (SRWA) seek to confront the traditional, cultural and policy limitations that are militating against women’s customary rights to land in Eswatini.
SRWA is concerned with building partnerships and networking with like-minded organizations locally, regionally and internationally. The Women’s Assembly also creates democratic space for rural women to come together and share experiences, advocacy skills and speak with a united voice. It empowers women to challenge the status quo and trains them to participate in decision making processes on issues that deal with their rights, interests and welfare. SRWA also lobbies and advocates for policies that promote and protect women and girls’ rights. It works nationally in Swaziland with a particular focus in the rural areas as a number of other NGOs focus is mainly around the Manzini-Mbabane urban corridor and rarely work in rural areas.
SRWA envisions a patriarchal free society where women freely participate in the social, economic, religious, political, cultural and educational spheres in the country. SRWA is a member of RWA Southern Africa where we come together as SADC women to learn from each other, share ideas and campaign together on changes in the region.