Press Release: “On Saturday, 9 August, National Women’s Day, the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), together with the Pan African Collective for Evidence (PACE), unveiled South Africa’s first AI-driven Living Evidence Map aimed at tackling Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF).
Minister Maropene Ramokgopa emphasised that the launch goes beyond mere technology—it’s about taking action. “It is a tool for action, a tool for justice, and a tool that puts survivors first. We will not end GBVF with words alone. We need evidence, accountability, and the courage to act.
The cutting-edge digital platform was developed to bolster Pillar 6 of the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NSP GBVF), which focuses on improving research and information management.
With this initiative, South Africa now boasts the country’s largest centralised and regularly updated gender evidence database, consolidating academic research, community insights, evaluations, and government data into a single platform.
“To end GBVF, we need to understand what works, for whom, and why. This platform gives us the power to base decisions on evidence rather than assumptions,” stated the department.
The Living Evidence Map is a collaborative effort involving researchers, civil society, and government departments. It is powered by ChatEIDM, an AI engine that enables real-time interaction with the data.
The platform is designed to assist:
- Policymakers in creating targeted interventions
- Civil society organisations in developing evidence-based strategies
- Researchers and evaluators in spotting gaps and trends
- The general public in gaining insight into the scale of GBVF and potential solutions…(More)”
