With the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) again rising to prominence, ICTS will be raising funds for the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children – a one-stop centre for women and children who are survivors of abuse.
GBV in South Africa
South Africa's levels of gender-based violence are among the highest in the world, with President Ramaphosa calling it our nation's second pandemic. According to one estimate, between 12% and 28% of women in South Africa report being raped in their lifetime, while almost 50% of women report experiencing emotional or economic abuse at the hands of their intimate partners. These tragedies are largely driven by prevailing cultural norms, lack of social support, socio-economic inequality, and substance abuse.
Help for the victims
Locally, numerous organisations are working to alleviate the plight of abused women and children. These include the Rape Crisis Centre, Sisters Incorporated, Mosaic Training, Service, and Healing Centre for Women, and the IHATA Shelter for Abused Women and Children.
Our chosen organisation for this campaign, the Saartjie Baartman Centre, is based in in Manenberg and serves both its immediate surroundings as well as neighbouring townships, farming communities in Phillippi, Constantia, and Stellenbosch, and informal settlements. ICTS donations will contribute towards the centre’s numerous projects, such as:
- A Residential Programme that houses an average of 22 women and 35 children for four months.
- An Empowerment Programme that offers emergency counselling, short-term individual and group counselling and support, legal advice and assistance to women and children.
- Economic empowerment programmes which provide job skills training for women who come to the Centre.
How to donate
- Visit our Back-a-Buddy fundraising page.
- Click the yellow Donate button.
- Enter your details, including the amount you are donating, then select your payment method. The service accepts payment by card, EFT, PayPal, and more. Note that the platform also charges a tiny service fee, which you may cover yourself.
We aim to collect at least R10,000 for the Centre, so please feel free to share our fundraising page with family and friends.
Doing our part
2020 continues to be a challenging year for us all, and the pandemic has certainly intensified the struggle for those who were already in difficulty – including the victims of gender-based violence and abuse.
We hope that you will continue to open your hearts as you have so many times in the past. In doing so, ICTS can make a small but important contribution towards fostering a safe and secure society where women and children are empowered to exercise their full rights without fear of intimidation or abuse.
Thank you for your generous contributions.
The ICTS Social Responsibility team