PROVINCIAL DEPARTMENTS OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ON COURSE TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF GENDER BASED VIOLENCE VICTIMS
Boksburg, Gauteng Province, 12 November 2025
On the second day of the fifth sitting of the National Shelter Indaba, currently underway under the theme “Sheltering and Beyond: Building Bridges of Prevention and Intervention”, provincial Departments of Social Development shared their progress and interventions in addressing the ongoing challenge of Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF). The Department of Social Development (DSD) leads Pillar 4 of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, which focuses on Response, Care, Support and Healing.
This pillar is implemented in collaboration with other government departments and civil society partners. The Eastern Cape Department of Social Development has 14 shelters across eight districts, and in the current financial year (2025/26), an amount of R36 million has been allocated to fund Victim Empowerment Centres. The Gauteng Department of Social Development funds 14 shelters and is finalising the operationalisation of donated buildings from the Department of Public Works and Mogale City Municipality.
The department also provides a variety of skills development programmes for women survivors of GBV, including baking, cooking, computer literacy, and hair and beauty training. In KwaZulu-Natal, shelters continue to play a critical role in the province’s integrated response system. These facilities provide a safe space for victims of GBVF and serve as centres for healing, empowerment and reintegration. DSD remains the lead department in coordinating services for victims of crime and violence, with a focus on vulnerable women and children.
Provincial departments continue to implement empowerment and skills development programmes to promote independence and restore dignity among survivors. Participants at the Indaba called on all government departments to contribute financially and programmatically towards the implementation of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, emphasizing that the fight against GBVF requires a collective and well-resourced national effort. The National Shelter Indaba underscores the importance of continuous and effective implementation strategies that improve the standard of multi-level and holistic service delivery.
The gathering aims to ensure the safety, well-being and empowerment of women affected by abuse, as part of the broader vision to eradicate GBVF in South Africa. The Indaba takes place in partnership with the National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA), which provides support to shelters for women and children affected by GBVF across all nine provinces. These shelters offer critical services such as counselling, safety, skills development and psychosocial support to help survivors rebuild their lives.GBVF, declared a second pandemic in South Africa, it continues to affect people across all sectors of society, including women, children, persons with disabilities and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. It remains one of the most pressing human rights issues facing the nation.
The fifth National Shelter Indaba concludes tomorrow, physically at Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre or virtually: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/gWLkAO3hSHWE8Y-TymIMhA?_x_zm_rtaid=MUEIaAFERyi5mJmjrYiH2A.1762767174954.3c31c6fc3d55a3b0c43e15478c2f7978&_x_zm_rhtaid=565#/registration Date: Thursday, 13 November 2025Venue: 44 View Point Rd, Bartlett, National Shelter Indaba, Birchwood Hotel, Boksburg.