As the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign gets underway, the Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD) is stepping up its efforts to tackle Gender-Based Violence (GBV) across the province.
This week, 139 residents joined DSD’s GBV Ambassador Programme in areas including Breede Valley, Atlantis, Drakenstein, Stellenbosch, and Cape Metro North. Trained as first responders and community advocates, ambassadors raise awareness about support services for survivors and guide them toward the appropriate authorities.
Western Cape Minister of Social Development Jaco Londt expressed his gratitude to the volunteers, saying, “Thank you to these residents who have decided to join the Western Cape Government in its efforts to address GBV in all its forms. It is not just during these 16 Days that we are working, but throughout the year.”
The department’s Victim Empowerment Programme, with a budget exceeding R73 million, funds 26 shelters and 21 social service organizations that support survivors at key entry points, including Thuthuzela Care Centres, courts, and police victim-friendly rooms.
At the Atlantis launch, the City of Cape Town distributed 1,000 dignity packs for survivors. Mayoral Committee Member Francine Higham said, “Survivors of GBV experience unimaginable trauma; these dignity packs are a small gesture of our support and commitment.”
Minister Londt also highlighted this year’s campaign theme, “End digital violence against all women and girls,” and urged parents to have open conversations with their children about online safety.
VOC News
Photo: Supplied
