We have a vision of a South Africa in which rape survivors suffer no secondary trauma, and are supported throughout their interaction with the Criminal Justice System (CJS).

Our mission is to promote an end to violence against women, specifically rape, and to assist women to achieve their right to live free from violence. Rape Crisis Cape Town seeks to achieve its mission through counselling and training of women, thereby reducing the trauma experienced by rape survivors, and encouraging reporting of rape and the conviction of rapists.

We will achieve this mission through the following strategic interventions:

1. Improved services to rape survivors both prior to entering and within the Criminal Justice System in order to minimise secondary victimisation and increase the effectiveness of trials so that conviction rates are increased above the current 4,1% baseline.
2. Improved services to survivors in communities preventing extended psychological trauma and further physical harm so that when a woman is raped she does not suffer consequences that prevent her from:
   • parenting her children effectively,
   • working to generate income and
   • becoming vulnerable to further harm

   because this breaks down the family structure and ultimately the social fabric of our communities

3. Research into a replicable model for prevention through interventions with youth that modify social norms both in terms of attitudes and behaviour so that the number of rape incidents is reduced and there is increased reporting of rape.
4. The development of research capacity within Rape Crisis so that our advocacy work has a greater effect, we clearly demonstrate the impact of our work and we have a rich data set on survivors experiences and responses to rape service provision.

Each of these aims will be implemented through our existing services of counselling, training and advocacy combining deterrent, preventive and restorative interventions into a comprehensive strategy.