Sheltering Hope: Care, Support & Accountability in GBV Response

A collation of research dedicated to a focus on strengthening care and support for victims/survivors of GBV through the lens of shelter services spanning the last decade. This body of work draws on two EU-funded projects aimed at improving the state’s response to GBV - particularly in the context of shelter services - and, more recently, how COVID-19 and the nationwide lockdown of 27 March 2020 shaped the incidence, experience, and response to domestic violence in South Africa.

Care & Support in a Time of Epidemic

On 27 March 2020, South Africa entered COVID-19 lockdown, effectively confining many women to their homes in the constant presence of abusive partners. Government declared shelters essential services, but restrictions on transport, courts, and police stations made help-seeking difficult. While media reports offered alarming yet conflicting statistics on rising domestic violence, little analysis was available on women’s lived experiences or the impact of shelter conditions. This project, in collaboration with researchers Lisa Vetten and Kailash Bhana, explores how lockdown shaped violence and care, while building on earlier work to strengthen the state’s response to GBV through shelter services.

Series 1: Evidence of Domestic Violence during Lockdown

This publication, and its associated virtual discussion, presents the available evidence for violence during the lockdown using data from three points of service, the national Gender-Based Violence Command Centre, the South African Police Services and health facilities.

Cover of Brief 1 Impact of Lockdown on Domestic Violence in South Africa

The Impact of the Covid-19 Lockdown on Domestic Violence in South Africa: What do we know?

Research Brief No.1

This brief is one of a series produced by the Heinrich Böll Foundation in relation to its ‘Care and Support in a Time of Epidemic’ research project. The project focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on shelter services to victims of domestic violence in South Africa, and seeks to strengthen policy and practice in the provision of domestic violence services.

Lisa Vetten

Webinar Recording: The available evidence of Domestic Violence during Lockdown

Video

On Wednesday 18 August, the Heinrich Böll Foundation hosted its first webinar associated to its “Care and Support in a Time of Epidemic” research project. The recording of the discussion can be watched here.

Newzroom Afrika interview on Domestic Violence Findings

In the News

Consultant lead researcher for HBF project on impact of lockdown on Domestic Violence recently spoke to Newsroom Afrika about some of the study’s first set of findings.

Series 2: Adapting to Disaster: Domestic Violence Shelters and South Africa’s COVID-19 Lockdown

The second brief in this series lays the ground for the in-depth research report reflecting on the qualitative and experiential dimensions of the lockdown, both for the women who sought refuge, as well as those providing shelter services. Written from the perspective of shelters, brief 2 provides two accounts of working under these dramatically altered circumstances. The first tells how shelters adapted to the state of disaster through the harnessing and alignment of multiple processes and actors. The second is a considerably less sunny account. Focusing on the Department of Social Development, the brief surfaces habits and histories so entrenched that they were impervious to change – even in the face of disaster.

Brief_2_AdaptingtoDisaster_DVShelters_Covid19Lockdown_final.pdf_Adobe_Acrobat_.jpg

Adapting to disaster: Domestic Violence Shelters and South Africa’s COVID-19 Lockdown

Research Brief No.2

This brief is the second in a series produced by the Heinrich Böll Foundation in relation to its ‘Care and Support in a Time of Epidemic’ research project. The project focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on shelter services to victims of domestic violence in South Africa, and seeks to strengthen policy and practice in the provision of domestic violence services.

Lisa Vetten, Kailash Bhana

Webinar Care & Support in time of pandemic - AdaptingToDisaster.jpg

Webinar Recording: Adapting to Disaster: Domestic Violence Shelters and South Africa’s COVID-19 Lockdown

Video

On 2 December 2021, the Heinrich Böll Foundation launched its second research brief associated to its “Care and Support in a Time of Epidemic" research project. The project is dedicated to better understanding how COVID-19, and the subsequent implementation of lockdown in South Africa on 27 March 2020 has impacted on domestic violence in the country.

How Non-Governmental Shelters Have Had to Adapt to a National State of Disaster

In the news

HBF's new research reveals the Department of Social Development’s dependence on NGO shelters during Covid-19, and their tendency not to provide adequate support and funding despite this reliance, writes the Daily Maverick.

Jen Thorpe (Smout)

Enhancing State Responsiveness to Gender-Based Violence

"Enhancing State Responsiveness to Gender-Based Violence: Paying the True Costs" was a 3-year European Union funded project undertaken in partnership with the National Shelter Movement of South Africa between 2016 to 2018. The project aimed to support state accountability for adequate and effective provision of domestic violence survivor support programmes, specifically those related to the sheltering of abused women. It also aimed to raise public awareness of the important role of shelters and to strengthen and build their capacity and services. This work has resulted in the amassing of a solid body of evidence on key challenges affecting the sheltering sector as well as challenges that victims/survivors face when seeking police and other services. This project built on the successes of an earlier project undertaken in partnership with the Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre between 2011 and 2013 which was also funded by the European Union.

Publications

Policy Brief: Long term impact on sheltering for abused women

This brief is based on the findings of a study undertaken to understand women's experiences of shelter services and the factors that aided or hindered their long-term recovery from abuse; an aspect crucial to improving government and non-profit sector policy and practice.

Kailash Bhana, Claudia Lopes

The Long-term Impact of Shelters on the Lives of Abused Women

This publication is the last in a series of provincial studies on shelters for abused women undertaken by the HBF and the NSM and supported by the EU. This study focuses on women's experiences of having accessed shelters and those who render such services. It does so in an attempt to better understand what is required to meet the long-term needs of those seeking reprieve and an end to violence.

Claudia Lopes, Zethu Matebeni, Sixolile Ngcobo, Mpiwa Mangwiro

What is Rightfully Due? Costing the Operations of Domestic Violence Shelters

Shelters provide critical services to abused women, yet, most are chronically under-funded and highly variable. Current government allocations to shelters are not informed by a costing framework. This results in services being driven by resources rather than best practice. A new report aims to address that short-coming.

Out of Harm's Way: Women's Shelters in the Eastern and Northern Cape.

This publication is one of a series of provincial studies on women's uses of shelters undertaken by the HBF and the National Shelter Movement of SA's EU-supported 'Enhancing State Responsiveness to GBV: Paying the True Costs' project. The publication describes women's uses of domestic violence shelters paying particular attention to women's mental health needs as well as government policy and budgets in relation to the provision of sheltering services in the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape.

Lisa Vetten, Claudia Lopes

Housing Women Who Have Experienced Abuse: Policy, Funding and Practice [Mpumalanga]

This publication is the second of a series of shadow reports that the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the National Shelter Movement of South Africa have produced in relation to their ‘Enhancing State Responsiveness to Gender Based Violence: Paying the True Costs’ project. The publication was partly produced with the Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre to End Violence against Women.This report was produced with the financial support of the European Union.

Claudia Lopes, Patience Mungwari Mpani

Housing Women Who Have Experienced Abuse: Policy, Funding and Practice [KwaZulu-Natal]

This publication is the first of a series of shadow reports that the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the National Shelter Movement of South Africa have produced in relation to their ‘Enhancing State Responsiveness to Gender Based Violence: Paying the True Costs’ project. The publication was partly produced with the Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre to End Violence against Women.

Claudia Lopes, Patience Mungwari Mpani

Shelter Services to Domestic Violence Victims – Policy Approaches to Strengthening State Responses

This policy brief considers the provision of shelter services to victims of domestic violence and is done in relation to the Heinrich Böll Foundation (HBF) and the National Shelter Movement of South Africa‘s (NSM) “Enhancing State Responsiveness to GBV: Paying the True Costs” project. Funded by the European Union, this project aims to support state accountability for adequate and effective provision of domestic violence survivor support programmes, specifically those associated with the provision of shelter for abused women.

Claudia Lopes, Joy Watson

Policing Responses to Domestic Violence: Exploring Reactions by the Police to Women in Need of Shelter

This research paper explores responses by the police to victims of domestic violence, specifically, in their capacity to refer women to shelter services as required by legislation. The paper is associated to the Enhancing State Responsiveness to GBV: Paying the True Costs, a project of the HBF and the NSM.

Kelly Stone, Claudia Lopes

Funding_policy_and_practice_Western_Cape_shelters

Shelters Housing Women Who have Experienced Abuse: Policy, Funding and Practice [Western Cape]

This shadow report assesses the provision and funding of shelters by the Western Cape Department of Social Development while considering whether shelters in this province have sufficient resources to meet the legitimate needs of women and children seeking refuge from domestic violence in the home.

Kailash Bhana, Claudia Lopes, Dianne Massawe

Funding policy practice - Gauteng shelters for abused women

Shelters Housing Women Who have Experienced Abuse: Policy, Funding and Practice [Gauteng]

This shadow report assesses the provision and funding of shelters by the Gauteng Department of Social Development while considering whether shelters have sufficient resources to meet the legitimate needs of women and children seeking refuge from domestic violence in the home.

Kailash Bhana, Lisa Vetten, Dianne Massawe, Lindiwe Makhunga

Criminal Justice Responses: Assessing the Implementation of the Domestic Violence Act in Gauteng

This report sets out the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act and assesses whether problems with the implementation of this legislation are still being faced by proﬁling the experiences of 151 people applying for protection orders at nine courts in Johannesburg and East Rand and seeking assistance from the police on domestic violence matters.

Claudia Lopes, Dianne Massawe, Mpiwa Mangwiro

Policy Brief: Shelters Housing Women Who Have Experienced Abuse

This policy brief presents a summary of two shadow reports that focused on shelter policy, funding and practice and ends with a set of recommendations for the improvement of sheltering services for abused women and their children.

Claudia Lopes

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