Remarks delivered by EU Head of Delegation, H.E. Mette Sunnergren on the Launch of the Lesotho Gender-Based Violence Follow-up Study

Lumelang, bo 'M'e le bo-Ntate

It is a pleasure to join you today at the launch of the Lesotho Gender-Based Violence Follow-up Study. I would like to thank Gender Links Lesotho for convening us, in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Youth, Sports, Arts, Culture and Social Development, and to acknowledge the important role of the Lesotho Bureau of Statistics and all stakeholders contributing to this process.

Today's event is a moment to reflect on how evidence can help us move from concern to action, from policy commitments to implementation, and from isolated interventions to a more coordinated national response. We are gathered to review findings, and to strengthen our collective determination to end gender-based violence in Lesotho.

The European Union remains deeply concerned by the ongoing prevalence of gender-based and domestic violence in Lesotho. Sexual offences and other crimes resulting from gender-based violence remain alarmingly persistent. This is why equal access to justice matters so profoundly. It is essential for protecting women and girls, and for accountable governance, public trust, and social cohesion. Inclusive and equitable justice systems help address impunity, uphold rights, and contribute to building stable and democratic societies in which women and girls can participate fully and safely.

We also know that prevention, protection, prosecution, and survivor support must go hand in hand. There can be no effective response to GBV without comprehensive services for survivors, stronger institutions, community engagement, and sustained efforts to transform harmful gender norms.

The presence in today's programme of actors from government, law enforcement, health, justice, civil society, and survivor communities is therefore both welcome and necessary.

This is also why data matters. Gender data helps us understand prevalence, drivers, patterns, and lived experiences. It enables institutions and partners to identify priorities, allocate resources more effectively, and assess whether interventions are making a real difference. Reliable and nuanced evidence is indispensable if we are serious about preventing and responding to gender-based violence.

In this regard, the follow-up study presented today is especially important. It allows Lesotho and its partners to update understanding since the first GBV study conducted in 2013, while also adapting to new and evolving risks, including emerging forms of violence such as technology-facilitated abuse.

The insights shared today should therefore be seen not as an endpoint, but as a foundation. They can help prepare institutions and communities for the fuller findings to come, and they can already guide national dialogue on where action is most urgently needed.

Let me also warmly recognise the presence of civil society organisations here today. The European Union considers civil society a key partner globally and here in Lesotho. Civil society plays a central role in service delivery, advocacy, governance, social accountability, and community development.

The EU is proud to support these efforts. Our ongoing support in Lesotho amounts to EUR 8.45 million, or approximately LSL 168.5 million, with a focus on youth grassroots organisations, social accountability, the protection of human rights - especially for women and children - and the fight against gender-based violence.

Ending GBV and promoting gender equality is a shared responsibility. It requires partnership between the Government of Lesotho, civil society, communities, international partners, and above all the voices and leadership of women and girls themselves.

In closing, let me reaffirm the European Union's commitment to supporting Lesotho in advancing gender equality, strengthening access to justice, and building evidence-based responses to gender-based violence.

I congratulate all those involved in producing and presenting this study, and I look forward to the discussion ahead - and to the concrete action that should follow from it.

Kea Leboha