GBV Sheltering

Health-E News's Kerry Culinan reports on research findings and discussions had at the HBF and NSM's recent public debate on funding of shelters for women.

While February is widely regarded as the month of love, statistics suggest that for this month alone approximately 84 women may be murdered by someone they [had] loved. Recent research by the HBF and NSM reveals that shelters are an effective strategy to the prevention of intimate partner violence, with less than a quarter of women returning to an abusive partner, yet, research has also found that serious funding gaps significantly undermines the efforts of shelters. 

While government has set minimum standards for shelters housing abused women, it fails to offer adequate support to uphold these requirements. The Weekend Argus recently spoke to some shelter managers and survivors of abuse to shed more light on their experiences of providing/accessing shelters.

19 years of 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against women and children in SA, but there is little evidence that this campaign has helped curb the horrific levels of violence. Read more...

HBF and the National Shelter Movement of South Africa have embarked on a journalist fellowship with Health E-News, a television and print news service, to raise awareness of domestic violence and the importance of shelter services. This partnership is associated to the “Enhancing State Responsiveness to Gender-Based Violence: Paying the True Costs” EU-funded project. In this article, Health E-News citizen journalist Ndivhuwo Mukwevho, gives us insight into the vital services that the Ekuphumleni Restoration Home offers abused women.    

South Africa has had a Domestic Violence Act since 1998, but its critics say the law is ineffective. Women & Girls recently spoke to Claudia Lopes, project manager of the Heinrich Boell Foundation, about the challenges of tackling domestic violence in South Africa and what needs to be done to ensure women can leave abusive relationships quickly and safely.

Stakeholders working to combat Gender-Based Violence question to what extent the 2017/18 budget reflect government’s commitment to effectively meet the true costs associated with addressing violence against women and children.