A LETTER FROM THE SYMPOSIUM ORGANISERS We would like to thank several people who made this symposium possible, and who have supported our work in important ways over the years. Indeed, this symposium is the culmination – and, we hope, a moment in the continuation – of a series of significant feminist collaborations and working partnerships. We are very grateful to our organisations, the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, and the University of Pretoria, as well as partner organisations for their support in producing the symposium. We thank Prof. Tim Murithi, Mr Stan Henkeman, Prof. Siphamandla Zondi, Prof. Sandy Africa, Prof. Maxi Schoeman, Ms Rina Du Toit and Ms Kirsty Agnew for their support on many levels for the symposium. We are also thankful to the Centre for Governance Innovation at the University of Pretoria for the use of their wonderful seminar venue and the insights of their researchers who joined us for parts of the programme. We make special mention of Ms Anthea Flink from the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, whose unparalleled support regarding logistics, bookings and administration was integral to the smooth running of the symposium. We are also deeply grateful to four brilliant young women – Ms Mamello Mosiana from the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, and Ms Mellissa Mlambo, Ms Janice Saunders and Ms Jesuloba Ilesanmi from the University of Pretoria – who were not only superb rapporteurs and assistants at the symposium, but for whom nothing was too much in supporting it and who excelled at every level of their contributions. We also thank Ms Mosiana, Ms Mlambo and Ms Saunders for the drafting of this report, which they did with finesse and professionalism. We thank Mr Armand E.G. Goutondji and his team at AEG Communications for the seamless simultaneous translation at the symposium as well as the translation of this report into French, and Ms Felicity Gallagher of COMPRESS.dsl, whose professionalism, humour and excellence as an editor, publisher, and project manager make it all seem so effortless. Our particularly enormous thanks go to Ms Eleanor du Plooy, a remarkable feminist activist and facilitator, who has facilitated some extremely difficult conversations in the South African context and who generously gave her time to facilitate the final open session of the symposium, during which she probed and guided us, synthesised our ideas and fostered a space for provoking and important questions, which was invaluable to the symposium. We are deeply grateful to our partner, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Pretoria. It goes without saying that we are grateful for the generous funding the Embassy has provided for the entire project on accountability for sexual and gender-based violence at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation. We are equally deeply grateful, however, for the flexible and spirited way in which the Embassy has approached the partnership relationship. The balance between providing total latitude to us and allowing us the independence to pursue research and activities in our own way, coupled with an interest in and commitment to our work, is rare to find. In particular, we are grateful to HE Ambassador Marisa Gerards for her visionary leadership and her iconic approach to women in leadership, HE Deputy Head of Mission Jan Huesken, and Ms Bregje Wijsenbeek for their thoughtful project partnership. We note, in particular, the hard work of Ms Wijsenbeek in vi\ Accountability for conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence: Successes, challenges, narratives, and omissions