About SSI
A community of survivors, practitioners, researchers and policy makers working to close gaps in the response to sexual violence.
What SSI is
The South-South Institute on Sexual Violence (SSI) began in 2012 as a collaboration between organisations and individuals working on sexual violence. It was led by Refugee Law Project (RLP) in Kampala, Uganda, with partners from New Zealand and Cambodia whose work included support for male survivors in conflict, post-conflict and post-colonial settings.
SSI's main focus has been sexual violence against men, boys and people of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and expression. It treats sexual violence as an issue that cuts across gender, class, age, identity, ability and race, and it stands with the women's movement, which first challenged the silence around sexual violence.
Much international work on sexual violence has grown out of efforts in the global north to end violence against women and girls. Responses are often designed around fixed assumptions about who is vulnerable and who has power. This can leave boys, men and people of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and expression without protection or support.
The "south-south" in SSI's name puts first the knowledge, skills and resources of people in the global south, which have often been overlooked. SSI aims to share learning widely and to question the assumptions and power structures that contribute to sexual violence.
How SSI is run
SSI is a network, not a separate organisation. It is convened by Refugee Law Project, an outreach programme of the School of Law at Makerere University in Kampala, with a small Secretariat [to confirm with RLP].
Who approves content, who decides on future Institutes, and how SSI is funded will be set out here once Refugee Law Project has confirmed them [to confirm with RLP]. The sixth Institute, in 2025, was supported by a grant from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Institutes
SSI has met in Kampala (2013, 2019, 2022 and 2025), Phnom Penh (2015) and Christchurch (2017). A meeting planned in the United Kingdom for 2020 was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. See all Institutes.
Partners
Organisations listed as partners for the 2025 Institute: Refugee Law Project, First Step, Urban Light Foundation, Survivors Manchester and up! International.
Joining SSI
Survivors, practitioners, students, researchers and policy makers are welcome. To join the community or suggest a resource for the library, contact us.