At the Changing Attitude Movement, we are deeply committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. As an organization dedicated to fostering positive societal shifts, empowering women, and combating gender-based violence (GBV) in Soweto, Gauteng, South Africa, and beyond, we understand the sensitive nature of the work we do and the trust you place in us. This policy outlines how we collect, use, and protect your data.

1. Information We Collect

We only collect information that is necessary for us to drive our movement, provide our services, operate our programs, and communicate with you effectively. This may include:

• Personal Identification Information: Your name, contact details (email address, phone number, physical address), date of birth, and gender.

• Sensitive Information (with explicit consent): In the context of our support services and specialized programs, this may include details about your experiences, health information, or other sensitive data, but only when you voluntarily provide it and give us explicit consent to use it for specific, agreed-upon purposes.

• Demographic Information: Such as your location (Soweto, Gauteng, etc.) to help us understand our reach and impact, particularly within the communities we serve.

• Interaction Data: Information about how you engage with our website, social media, communications, or programs (e.g., website visits, email opens, event registrations, program participation).

• Donation Information: If you make a donation, we collect payment details and donation history. This financial data is processed securely through trusted third-party payment processors, and we do not store your full payment card details on our servers.

• Feedback and Survey Responses: Information you provide when participating in our surveys or giving feedback on our initiatives, which helps us understand attitudes and measure change.

2. How We Use Your Information

Your information is used solely for the purposes for which it was collected, and to advance the goals of the Changing Attitude Movement, including:

• Driving Attitudinal Change: Using aggregated and anonymized data to understand prevailing attitudes towards GBV and gender equality, informing our campaigns and educational initiatives.

• Providing Support and Services: Delivering our empowerment programs, counseling, advocacy, legal aid referrals, and safe space provisions to those impacted by GBV.

• Communication & Engagement: Sending you updates, newsletters, event invitations, campaign alerts, and information relevant to our mission to shift attitudes and empower communities (you can opt out at any time).

• Fundraising and Development: Processing donations and engaging with supporters to sustain and expand our vital work.

• Impact Measurement and Reporting: Analyzing anonymous, aggregated data to understand the effectiveness of our programs, the reach of our campaigns, and to report on our impact to stakeholders and the public (individual identities are never revealed without explicit consent).

• Advocacy and Awareness: Using anonymized or aggregated data to inform our advocacy efforts, raise public awareness about GBV, and promote positive social norms.

• Legal Compliance: Fulfilling our legal obligations and protecting our rights within the South African legal framework.

3. Data Protection and Security

We implement robust security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption: Using secure technologies for data transmission (e.g., SSL/TLS) where appropriate.

• Access Controls: Restricting access to personal data to authorized personnel only, who are bound by strict confidentiality agreements and trained on data protection protocols.

• Secure Storage: Storing data on secure servers with appropriate technical safeguards and regular backups.

• Regular Audits: Periodically reviewing our security practices and systems to ensure they remain effective and comply with relevant data protection laws in South Africa.

Given the sensitive nature of GBV and the personal journeys involved, we prioritize the safety and anonymity of survivors. Any specific, identifiable survivor information is handled with the utmost care, extreme confidentiality, and only with the explicit, informed consent of the individual for specific, agreed-upon uses.

4. Sharing Your Information

We will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• With Your Explicit Consent: When you give us clear permission to share specific information for a defined purpose (e.g., referral to a trusted partner organization for specialized support not directly offered by us).

• Service Providers: With trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website, managing our database, processing donations, or delivering services (e.g., bulk email services, IT support), provided they adhere to strict confidentiality and data protection standards consistent with this policy and applicable law.

• Legal Requirements: When required by law or a valid legal process (e.g., court order or subpoena) in South Africa.

• Protecting Rights and Safety: When necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of the Changing Attitude Movement, our beneficiaries, or the wider public.

5. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access: Request access to the personal information we hold about you.

• Correction: Request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

• Deletion: Request the deletion of your personal information, subject to legal and operational requirements (e.g., if we need to retain it for legal compliance).

• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw your consent for the processing of your sensitive information at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

• Object to Processing: Object to certain types of processing of your personal information, particularly for direct marketing purposes.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided below. We will respond to your request in accordance with applicable South African data protection laws.

6. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. We will post any updates on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.