As part of Women’s month celebrations, the Deputy Minister of Social Development, Mrs Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, will on Thursday, August 20, launch Hlayisani White Door Centre of Hope at Nsikazi Stadium – Mpumalanga Province.
White Door Centres serve as temporary shelters which provide accommodation and other basic needs such as food, clothing as well as counselling and psychosocial support to abused women. The centres further protect women from secondary abuse.
The launch of this centre is part of department’s work of embracing and promoting the rights of vulnerable women and their children, with a special focus to victims of gender based violence.
The white door centre model was initiated by Gauteng province in 2010 and to date the province successfully established twenty seven white door facilities. Eastern Cape Province also adopted this model in 2013 and hundred white door centres have already been established in the province. The department’s long-term plan is to roll-out white door facilities across all nine provinces of South Africa.
Other initiatives the department has rolled out to provide support to women who experience abuse include the award-winning Gender Based Violence (GBV) Command Centre – a 24 hour call centre providing support and counselling to victims of gender based violence.
The toll free number to call is 0800 428 428 (0800 GBV GBV) to speak to a social worker for assistance and counselling. Callers can also request a social worker from the Command Centre to contact them by dialling *120*7867# (free) from any cell phone.
The GBV Command Centre is also able to refer cases directly to the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Between April 2014 and March this year, the GBV Command Centre recorded 3 229 gender based violence cases ranging from verbal abuse, sexual harassment, indecent assault, emotional and economic abuse.
Members of the media are invited to attend and cover the launch scheduled as follows:
Date: Thursday, 20 August 2015
Time: 11h00
Venue: Nsikazi Stadium, Nsikazi Village (Next to Kabokweni) - Mpumalanga Province
Media can RSVP by contacting Mr Jaconia Kobue on 073 026 1111 / jaconiak@dsd.gov.za / Justice Ditshego on 079 4977426 or justiced@dsd.gov.za
Media inquiries may be forwarded to:
Ms Lumka Oliphant
Cell: 083 484 8067
E-mail: lumkao@dsd.gov.za
