As South Africa observes the global 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, the dire challenges faced by shelters supporting survivors of gender-based violence have come under the spotlight.
Speaking on VOC Breakfast, Delene Roberts, Western Cape Representative for the National Shelter Movement SA, shed light on the role shelters play and the systemic barriers they face in providing aid to survivors.
“What the shelters offer is holistic services to women and children arriving at the shelters, this includes professional social work services, short-term crisis stays, and all the amenities’ survivors need during their time with us,” she explained.
However, Roberts emphasized that the movement is grappling with significant challenges, particularly underfunding.
“Most shelters in the Western Cape receive only 30% to 40% of funding from the national government. This forces us to stretch our resources even further, making it difficult to meet the growing demand for safe spaces,” she said.
“Our focus at the moment is to highlight the urgent needs that should be addressed and particularly the governments systemic failures in preventing and responding to gender based violence and especially when it comes to the need to sustain support for intervention.”
Listen to the full interview below:
VOC News
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