We have put together a list of organisations fighting gender-based violence across the country.
Eastern Cape
Ikhwezi Women’s Support Centre Cathcart
Ikhwezi Women’s Support Centre is an NGO based in a small rural town of Cathcart situated in the Eastern Cape. Ikhwezi Women’s group focuses on poor rural women specifically those on commercial farms, the youth and children. Ikhwezi is committed to educating and empowering men, women and children of the greater Cathcart region on issues of Gender Based Violence, Human Rights, as well as HIV and AIDS related issues. Ikhwezi strives to empower the greater Cathcart community to enable it to participate in the development of its own community.
The centre can be reached on 045 843 2110, email ikhwezi@hazeldean.co.za
Rape Crisis Centre Port Elizabeth
The Rape Crisis Centre provides holistic, gender sensitive assistance to all victims. The centre strives to prevent sexual crimes and empower those that have endured such harrowing events. The vision is to develop a multi-sector approach towards eliminating all forms of gender violence, by working with various stakeholders. RCC endeavours to give comprehensive services to both the victims and their immediate families
The centre can be reached on 041 484 3804
REVIVE — Empowering Emotional Change Port Elizabeth
REVIVE — Empowering Emotional Change REVIVE (previously known as LifeLine Port Elizabeth) is a movement of skilled lay counsellors who provide a 24-hour confidential counselling service to anyone facing an emotional crisis by means of telephone or face-to-face counselling. REVIVE empowers community members to become emotionally well. REVIVE would like to restore communities through urgent rebuilding of family, community and social relations in order to promote social integration and emotionally well communities. REVIVE has an ongoing programme to combat GBV.
REVIVE can be contacted on 041 372 8882/3, email info@revive.org.za
Free State
Lifeline Free State
Lifeline offers counselling for trauma, depression, pregnancy, HIV infection, gender violence, substance abuse and offers any needed community resources. The mission is to also influence behavioural change in the mitigation and eradication of GBV by engaging men and young men.
Lifeline can be contacted on 057- 3572746 , email iilfs@internext.co.za
Free State Network on Violence Against Women
The Free state network is an NGO aiming to eradicate violence against women and children. The organisation regularly engages with government support structures, and setting up victim support facilities across the Free State.
The network can be contacted on 0827005711
Kwazulu-Natal
Aldabri 99 Tongaat
Aldabri 99 is an NGO based in Tongaat, that advances community development through women empowerment projects and skills development campaigns in and around Durban. Aldabri 99 provides counselling for victims of GBV and towards programmes that provide emotional support, legal advice, and medical assistance.
Aldabri 99 can be contacted on 079 779-4890, email info@es-africa.co.za
Sinika Uthando Durban
Sinika Uthando helps to bring healing to less fortunate communities as well as abuse victims. The organisation specialises in life skills, learner ships, various training interventions, empowerment programs and offers counselling and refuge for abuse victims. The Sinika Uthando Food Bank also currently provides food hampers, masks and sanitisers to less fortunate families and senior citizens in poor communities in and around Durban during the lockdown.
They can be contacted on 0314012744, email info@sinikauthando.co.za
Western Cape
Ilitha Labanthu Cape Town
Ilitha labanthu is a social service and educational organisation that focuses on addressing violence against women and children and supporting those affected by it. Located within Khayelitsha and Gugulethu, they provide easily accessible services to gender-based violence (GBV) survivors and the broader community. They have satellite offices in five provinces in township and rural areas currently.
The organisation can be contacted on 021 633 2383/021 633 3048
Susters4Life Worcester
Susters4Life is dedicated to empowering and uplifting women. Founded by the four Thompson sisters, they began with ad-hoc community projects in Worcester and Laingsburg, with a focus on helping women in these rural communities. The NGO is dedicated to women’s empowerment, education and fighting against GBV.
They can be contacted on 023 342 0824
Online
The Embrace Project is an online initiative to creatively combat gender based violence. The NGO sells artwork online donated by various South African artists. The proceeds go to grass-roots organisations combatting gender based violence. Aside from the funding, Embrace also advocates for creating awareness around GBV.
Enquiries and artist submissions can be done here
Limpopo
Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Programme
The programme works to generate an attitude of zero tolerance towards sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse & HIV and AIDS related stigma in Limpopo’s Thulamela Municipality. They aim to create a supportive environment for the victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. They also inform, educate and capacitate the community about their rights and responsibilities pertaining to sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse and HIV/AIDS.
The programme can be reached at (27) 15 963 1222, email info@tvep.org.za or through their website tvep.org.za.
Akonaho Victim Empowerment Programme
This programme aims to provide and co-ordinate services that render effective support systems and supportive environment to the victims of family violence and sexual abuse. They also seek to actively encourage, through education and empowerment, an attitude of zero tolerance towards family violence and sexual abuse in Thulamela Municipality, Vhembe District. Their vision is to have well informed, empowered communities that have a zero tolerance attitude towards perpetration of sexual assault and domestic violence.
The programme can be reached at +27 79 117 5677 or email akonahovep@gmail.com.
Life Savers Foundation
The foundation was established with the purpose of reducing incidents of gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual violence, which is a major issue in Makuya. They conduct human rights campaigns.The organisation also provides victims of GBV with support through assistance with court preparation; providing accommodation for survivors of abuse; assessing victims’ exposure to secondary victimisation; and identifying vulnerable individuals who need assistance in changing their situation.
The foundation can be reached via phone 076 1268 807/ 066 503 4822 or email fmnelamvi@gmail.com.
Niani Victim Empowerment
They aim to render professional and effective victim empowerment services geared at protecting, restoring dignity and empowering victims. They are situated within the Niani area, within the Musina municipality. Their community is situated in a rural area, where incest, sexual abuse and domestic abuse are high. With regards to incest cases, most of the victim are children.The Niani centre is able to render an effective service geared at protecting, restoring dignity and empowering victims.
The NGO can be reached at 079 602 3798 or email at nianivep@gmail.com.
Save the Children South Africa
Save the Children South Africa as part of the world’s largest independent development and rights based organisation for children fights for their rights. They work to make sure all children in South Africa thrive in a safe environment free from violence.
The Limpopo branch can be reached at +27124307775, email info@savethechildren.org.za and website www.savethechildren.org.za/.
Northern Cape
Rural Development Support Program (RDSP)
The RDSP’s programme focuses on training community-based organisations (CBOs) in small, neglected communities in Namaqualand to start community support groups dealing with gender-based violence and substance abuse. It equipps the CBOs with skills, intervention methods and funding, and enabled the members of the organisations to provide services to their respective communities.
The programme can be reached at the website https://rdsp.org.za/ or 021 462 4555.
Childline Northern Cape
The Childline based in the Northern Cape is a non-profit organisation that works collectively to protect children from all forms of violence and to create a culture of children’s rights in South Africa.
They can be reached at 053 832 5962, email administration@childlinenc.org.za or website www.childlinesa.org.za/.
North West
Klerksdorp Community Police Forum
The Klerksdorp Community Police Forum do community projects, awareness campaigns and public education on crime related matters.They also partner with stakeholders, government departments and NGOs, and empower the community with knowledge on crime and violence, as well as the prevention thereof.
They can be reached 018 464 5015 / 076 150 7003 and email klerksdorp.cpf@saps.gov.za.
Grace Help Centre
The centre provides emergency care, shelter and the necessary support for victims of gender-based violence and human-trafficking as well as abandoned new-borns and child victims of abuse. The majority of the beneficiaries of the organisation are from previously disadvantaged communities – and are infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS. The organisation is the only care centre in the province that is accredited to provide rehabilitation and counselling to human-trafficking victims.
They can be reached at 014 574 3476/ 072 348 6526, email gracehelpcentreoffice@gmail.com/ gracecentre@mweb.co.za and website www.gracehelpcentre.mozello.com.
Mpumalanga
Grassroot Soccer South Africa
The adolescent health organisation uses the power of soccer to educate, inspire and mobilise youth to overcome their greatest health challenges, live healthier, more productive lives, and be agents for change in their communities. The multifaceted nature of their approach (health, education, soccer, youth development, child protection) puts GRS South Africa in a unique position to work with a wide variety of trusted local partners, including Childline, Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCC), Sonke Gender Justice, the Soul City Institute for Social Justice, and the Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading.
They can be reached at +27 10 286 1268, email sacommunications@grassrootsoccer.org and website www.grassrootsoccer.org.za.
Simunye Inter-denominational Women’s Organisation
The women’s organisation from Kabokweni marched against issues related to gender-based violence. They’ve used their platform to call for the magistrates to refuse bail to perpetrators. They also called on courts to attend to cases of violence and abuse with immediate effect, for families to find closure.
The Viva Foundation of South Africa
The foundation is working to be instrumental in the transformation of informal settlements and other high-priority poverty areas into stable and economically viable communities that provide young and old with opportunities for education, employment, business and recreation. They’ve given 200 panic buttons to vulnerable recipients, as part of a community based response programme. The foundation has also created the South African People’s Response Initiative (SAPRI).
They can be contacted here +27 79 635 2964, email info@viva-sa.co.za and website www.viva-sa.co.za
Gauteng
We have covered the Gauteng province extensively in previous lists.
Here are some of the organisations that deal with Gauteng:
8 Organisations Fighting Gender-Based Violence
Six SA organisations fighting gender-based violence
Want to help victims of gender-based violence? Give these organisations a call
Have we missed any organisations on our list? Comment below or tweet us @thedailyvox on Twitter
List compiled by Ling Shepherd and Fatima Moosa.
