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In a reply to parliamentary questions posed by MPP Dan Plato, Western Cape Minister of Social Development Sharna Fernandez revealed that the Western Cape’s six GBV shelters have helped hundreds of women over the last year. Every one of these women had access to a social worker, and many accessed the health and legal services present at each shelter.

The Western Cape has been the only Province to roll out its full complement of GBV Shelters – specialised facilities which provide a place of safety to survivors of Gender-Based Violence, complete with a range of social, medical and legal services. Many women find themselves trapped in abusive relationships that they hope to leave, but often have no place to go. These facilities provide a vital first step for many women to escape their abusers.

Shelters in the Bergriver region saw the most use, with more than 100 survivors passing through the region’s two facilities in a 12 month period. Of these, 73 chose to access services provided by the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness at these locations.

However, Minister Fernandez’s reply also showed that relatively few survivors chose to make use of the legal services provided by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. This implies that, while the GBV Shelters are being used as a place of safety, few survivors of GBV seek to press charges against their abusers.

MPP Dan Plato said: “I am pleased to see that the Western Cape’s GBV shelters have once again worked to provide urgently-needed relief to many who have suffered unspeakable abuse and violence. But more must be done. We know that there are many more victims out there who have not been able to remove themselves from their abusers, and it is disturbing that so few survivors pursue legal action against those who harm them.”

“I will address parliamentary questions to Minister Fernandez regarding further interventions and educational programs to encourage victims of GBV to hold their abusers to account. We must send a clear message that abuse of any kind is unacceptable in our society.”

Issued by Dan Plato, MPP - DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Social Development