In a bold move towards combating gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), the North-West University’s (NWU) Vanderbijlpark Campus has opened its first-ever GBVF Empowerment Centre, a groundbreaking initiative conceptualised by Dr Vedhna Dayanand-Lalla, a social worker and lecturer at the School of Psychosocial Health.

For Dr Dayanand-Lalla, the centre is more than just a physical space; it is the culmination of years of advocacy, research, and personal conviction that survivors deserve to be seen, heard, and supported within safe and trusted environments.

“This centre is a dream realised,” she said at the launch. “It is a place where survivors can find safety, dignity and healing, but it is also a space of education, research and advocacy. We wanted to create something transformative, a model that speaks not only to the needs of survivors here, but that resonates with best practices globally.”

Working alongside colleagues like Prof Vhumani Magezi of the School of Theology and Ujeet Maharaj, head of Student Judicial Services, Dr Dayanand-Lalla played a leading role in shaping both the philosophy and structure of the centre. The idea was born out of a series of campus and community engagements where she listened to survivors, students, and stakeholders.

“After every GBVF-related event, I felt the weight of voices that needed action, not just sympathy. This centre is the response to those voices,” she explained.

The Empowerment Centre is designed as a one-stop hub, offering psychosocial services, legal navigation, survivor-centred reporting, and continuous advocacy. It seeks to merge healing with empowerment and support with justice. One of the most significant contributions has been securing international partnerships to anchor the centre in both local and global contexts.

Under the team’s guidance, NWU joined forces with the University College Dublin and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre to establish the University Networks of Impact, a global committee of higher education institutions dedicated to eradicating GBVF. The initiative will be officially launched in Ireland later this year. “This is a step towards internationalisation as this is not just about Vanderbijlpark or South Africa,” she said. “GBVF is a global crisis, and through UNI, we are creating a united research-driven front to fight it.

The launch brought together representatives from the Gauteng Department of Community Safety, Sonke Gender Justice, civil society organisations, and the diplomatic corps. Many lauded Dr Dayanand-Lalla and the project team for their leadership and vision.

Mmemme Makane-Sibanda, chief director and provincial secretariat of the Gauteng Department of Community Safety, described the centre as a “monument of institutional courage,” crediting NWU for their foresight.

As the ribbon was cut and the campus mascot, Eagi, lightened the atmosphere with a reminder of community spirit, the focus remained clear: the Empowerment Centre is not symbolic, but practical, a space born from conviction and shaped by lived experiences.

Dr Dayanand-Lalla summed it up best: “Behind every statistic is a person. Behind every case is a story. This centre is here to say – you are not alone, and your healing matters.