Zazi Campaign

The Zazi campaign is working to mobilise the combined effort of civil society organisations across the country to address and improve the health and well-being of women and girls in South Africa. It is intended to engage different sectors of society to tackle these challenges, including hosting community dialogues, talking to the youth through their campus tours programme, and through a mass media campaign.

The mass media campaign uses a song, entitled ZAZI, written and performed by the South African musician, Zonke, in collaboration with an emerging South African young poet, King Nova and supported by the University of Pretoria's Youth Choir. The accompanying music video shows situations where young women are drawing on their strength to make decisions for their own future.

Zazi also includes an anti-Sugar Daddy campaign which encourages young women to avoid engaging in sexual relationships with older men. The thirty second television commercial, which was launched to coincide with youth month, was produced to discourage young girls from having sexual relationships with older men, often referred to as "sugar daddies." The commercial features a school girl who rejects the advances of an older man. The girl's friend approves of her decision and ties a green headband aroung the girl's wrist. The tying of the green headband represents a call to action to all young girls to look inside themselves and make good decisions which have positive outcomes for their health and well-being. Towards the end of the commercial, the rest of the girl's friends gather around her to show their support for her decision.

The development of the Zazi Campaign was informed through extensive quantitative and qualitative research, which included in-depth conversations with communities and consultation with experts and stakeholders working in this arena.

Gender, Sexual Violence, HIV/AIDS

According to Zazi organisers, while advances have been made in addressing issues with regard to women and girls in South Africa, certain social and structural barriers continue to persist. The vast majority of HIV infections occur among women. Young women, in particular, are at a greater risk of HIV infection as they often find themselves in situations that force them to have unprotected sex with older men in exchange for money or gifts. In addition, the perpetration and acceptance of gender-based violence, including sexual violence, endangers the lives of many women - young and old.