Human Rights & Gender Justice

JOHANNESBURG - The government is failing to provide adequate shelters for abused women, especially in Limpopo, the North West and the Free State according to findings of a three-year research project by the HBF and NSM.

A recently launched research report by the Hlanganisa Institute for Development in South Africa, the National Shelter Movement of South Africa and the Heinrich Böll Foundation, calls on government to strengthen current policy and funding to shelters for abused women. Greater investment in critical support services - such as those offered by shelters - is vital in a country with high rates of violence and abuse committed against women and children. 

The majority of shelters in South Africa are run by npo's that rely heavily on government funding in order to render much needed, very effective crises intervention services to hundreds of thousands of women and their children every year. Yet, the funding they receive from government to deliver this service is minimal and often very restrictive, unlike governments spending on ministers.

As Women’s Month draws to a close, about 130 vulnerable women living in shelters gathered on Thursday for a luncheon hosted by the Western Cape Women’s Shelter Network. Joy Lange, executive member of HBF's project partner, National Shelter Movement of SA, spoke to the Daily Maverick about the purpose of the event and some of the challenges facing shelters. 

The Heinrich Böll Foundation is a feminist political foundation working regionally and globally. Gender democracy, the respect for women's dignity and autonomy, and the right to sexual diversity are core values underpinning our efforts to build equitable and just societies.

Abused mentally, physically and emotionally by her husband for 15 years, Nadia Louw says at first she did not believe she could be helped at St Anne’s Home. But after living there for three months she finally feels she is at home. Louw is one of thousands of women victims of abuse and domestic violence who seek help in shelters. But shelter managers say funding is a major problem, writes GroundUp.

Funding is perhaps the single biggest challenge facing women’s shelters and anti-gender-based violence organisations in the country.