Western Cape women’s shelter programme needs more funding

The Minister of Social Development, Sharna Fernandez, pledged allegiance to the Western Cape Women’s Shelter Movement (WSM) during their annual review session, to discuss the ongoing gender-based violence and human trafficking faced by women and children living in the province.

“The work done by organisations like the Women’s Shelter Movement is a testament to how a whole-of-society approach is needed to overcome the many social ills faced by our most vulnerable people living in our province.”

The Minister of Social Development, Sharna Fernandez

What does Women’s Shelter Movement do?

The Women’s Shelter Movement aids in a short term intervention housing facility for up to 3 months. The department currently has 16 shelters that can accommodate survivors for three months and there are 4 emergency shelters also available in the Western Cape that can accommodate survivors for up to two weeks.

These shelters have served as residential facilities to accommodate victims of crime and violence, and their children, in a crisis situation where their safety is at risk. The daily issues that threaten the shelters day-to-day operations consist of; a lack of financing and security concerns around protecting the victims from their perpetrators.

Through its Victim Empowerment Programme, the Western Cape Department of Social Development is responsible for providing victim support services that include safe and secure accommodation, psycho-social support and empowerment of victims of crime and violence.

What is the current funding model?

The existing shelter funding model consists of unit cost, security, skills development and a social work/ social auxiliary work post-attack. The department has spent R25 million on the shelters during the 2019/20 fiscal year.

“We need to have a whole of society approach to deal with many of societies issues. In far too many cases we find that organizations, different spheres of government and other key stakeholders operating in silos. I’m trying to create coordinated responses among various stakeholders to ensure that we are far more successful in our efforts to fight against women and children abuse.”

The Minister of Social Development, Sharna Fernandez

Collaborative efforts can aid the problem

These shelters currently provide for basic needs that include:

• safe accommodation
• protection
• food
• clothing
• emotional support such as trauma debriefing and therapeutic counselling provided by a social worker.
• survivors are also provided with skills development opportunities to assist with the economic empowerment.

The intervention of the crisis begins at the point of admission at the shelter. Further evaluation of the survivor’s needs is assessed, and the assessment report will influence the services rendered in aid of the crisis issue.