DAR ES SALAAM, July 22 -- Gender-based violence in Africa is often treated as a legal, social or policing problem. But these responses dont fully address the conditions that shape the lives of women facing violence or the conditions they face in recovery.

Based on their expertise in law, the criminal justice system and their relationship with social justice issues, Azwihangwisi Judith Mphidi and Debra Pheiffer reviewed 10 research papers on responses to gender-based violence.

Their findings offer important lessons from South Africa on how survivors are rebuilding their lives.

The studies we reviewed reflected the fact that women dont experience violence as only a legal problem, or only an economic one, or only a psychological one.

The...