By Kouthar Sambo
The Western Cape Department of Social Development has attributed the success of its Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Femicide strategy to dedicated staff and strong collaboration with partner organisations. The European Union has found that the Western Cape is the only province so far to have achieved 100% and 98% respectively, in dedicating resources and facilities to achieving the goals of the strategy.
Speaking on VOC’s PM Drive show, Lynette Dixon from Callas Foundation, a social services organisation assisting abused women, said irrespective of the numbers, there are discrepancies between the policy and the reality of the situation.
“We are experiencing limited and unequal access to safe spaces and shelter for those abused. We still experience limited services available to survivors as they frequently get turned away or placed on a waiting list, which exposes them to further risk,” explained Dixon.
*Listen to the full interview here
Photo: Pixabay
