The president has declared GBV as a pandemic in South Africa.
Activists fighting against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) and crime experts are welcoming North-West University’s (NWU) launch of a GBVF Empowerment Centre.
It was recently launched at the NWU Vanderbijlpark campus to serve as a one-stop hub offering psychosocial support, legal case navigation and proactive advocacy. Key partners include the Gauteng department of Community Safety, Sonke Gender Justice, Higher Health, Ikhaya le Themba Empowerment Centre and international collaborators such as University College Dublin and Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.
Dr Vedhna Dayanand-Lalla from NWU said, “The president has noted that South Africa is facing a GBVF pandemic. “
Like other institutions of higher learning, we have encountered cases of GBVF. Through the centre, we aim to address all GBVF matters effectively and efficiently.
“The centre will adhere to a strict professional and confidential process. Social workers from Ikhaya le Themba will be at the centre twice a week to provide professional services.
“Vereeniging SA Police Service members will work closely with us to ensure a smooth and qualified process for all cases.
“We plan to train student leaders to respond to trauma in a supportive manner, especially as first responders within the residences.
“We hope to include social work students and honours psychology students as interns at the centre in the near future.
“We envision a focus on research alongside community service. We hope the centre will generate quality research that will serve as the foundation for our interventions while contributing to preventative processes and programmes.”
The centre will be open to the surrounding community.
To kick-start community education, they partnered with Ubuntu Evolution Hub, which will train 52 school principals on GBVF, handling and reporting statutory rape, HIV/Aids and pupil pregnancy.
GBV activist Prince Ntsikelelo Soga, executive director of the organisation I Am That Man, said the centre would bridge critical gaps in offering psychosocial care, legal guidance and proactive advocacy under one roof.
Willem Els of the Institute for Security Studies said it was part of the bigger strategy needed, as government and law enforcement agencies do not have enough impact.
