In an effort to protect victims of abuse, the Gauteng Department of Health and Social Development provided funding to twenty three shelters for abused women in the 2010/2011 financial year.
This has resulted in five hundred and eleven (511) women and two hundred and thirteen (213) children benefitting from the services rendered by the Department. One new shelter was registered and three additional registered shelters received funding.
Counseling services were provided to 11634 abused women in shelters and within the communities by both Government and NPO sector. Eight women with disabilities received services whilst residing in shelters for abused women.
The Department also continued providing funding support to sixty two existing protective workshops for persons with disabilities managed by non-profit organisations (NPOs). These protective workshops provided services to three thousand, five hundred and twenty two (3 572) persons with disabilities.
In addition, the Department continued to provide residential services to 1 777 people with disabilities through its 38 NPO and two Government residential facilities.
In the same financial year, two hundred and seven persons with disabilities resided in four assisted living facilities run by NPOs.
The Department continued funding 58 NPOs rendering Victim Empowerment Services.
Four girl child empowerment programmes, six social skills programmes to perpetrators and a programme on the promotion of women’s rights were implemented during the 16 days of Activism of no violence against women and children last year. Furthermore, the Department funded one shelter for abused adult males in the West Rand.
The admission criteria of the twenty one shelters funded in the period under review make provision for women to be admitted with their children. Three shelters have family wings that accommodate women with boy children. Services rendered at these shelters include the provision of residential care, assisted living facilities, social work services and referral to specialised services and protective workshops.
Women are the majority of beneficiaries that utilise Development Centres and have thus far received services such as advice centre information programmes, social programmes, food parcels and skills development.
In the period under review, contemporary training courses were provided with an increased focus on computer skills and trade skills. A large number of the current sewing cooperatives were exited from the Development Centre programme. The Department also provides support to women with regards to funding to start small businesses, training for entrepreneurial activities or the purchasing of equipment.
The Department takes cognisance of the interconnections between issues such as women’s poverty, susceptibility to HIV/AIDS, domestic violence and other forms of abuse. In this regard, development centers are funded to be nerve centers for referrals and linkages with other departments and agencies as well as the private sector at a community level to improve the lives of women through economic empowerment initiatives such as cooperatives.
In the previous financial year, the Department managed to empower women through 372 cooperatives that were set up. Two thousand, eight hundred jobs were created in the textile area focusing on school uniform, school jerseys and school shoes production.
The War on Poverty Programme ensured that profiled women on child support grants participate in cooperatives as an instrument to generate skills, income and reduce poverty. To date, 273 women on child support grants, who live in disadvantaged communities, participated in social cooperatives.
The plan is to expand on the number of existing cooperatives by the end of 2011/12 financial year.
For enquiries contact:
Simon Zwane
Cell: 082 551 9892
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