1000 Women Trust joins 100 Day Challenge; accelerate its women’s economic empowerment initiative
Karen Painter • Apr 23, 2022
1000 Women Trust, one of the most dynamic women-led NGO’s spearheading the fight to eradicate gender-based violence, has joined the effort by thirteen teams in six provinces that announced their goals towards ending gender-based violence and femicide at municipal level in 100 days.
1000 Women Trust is also stepping up its efforts to enhance the women’s economic empowerment initiatives countrywide, announced Tina Thiart, director of 1000 Women Trust.
“Women’s economic empowerment includes women’s ability to participate equally in existing markets: their access to and control over productive resources, access to decent work, control over their own time, lives and bodies, and increased voice, agency and meaningful participation in economic decision making,” Thiart added.
The national launch of the GBV NSP 100 Day challenge was launched on 12 th April. The Challenge is a structured journey for frontline teams and leaders that are designed to inspire and enable intense collaboration, continuous innovation and fast and disciplined execution.
End GBVF Collective, formerly known as the National Strategic Plan on Gender-based Violence and
Femicide (NSP GBVF) Multisectoral Implementation Collaborative, is piloting the 100-Day Challenge
process as a way to fast-track the implementation of the NSP GBVF at municipal level.
The work of the NSP GBVF is organised into 6 Pillars of action.
Pillar 1 deals with accountability, coordination, and leadership.
Their focus area for the 100-Day Challenge in Sol Plaatje Municipality is the establishment of a Rapid Response Team. The goal is to fast-track sexual offense cases and reduce the backlog, including DNA results, toward successful perpetrator convictions.
The National Prosecuting Authority aims for a 90% conviction rate as part of the 100 Day Challenge, as well as the improvement of child maintenance payments. The team will support this work by contributing to the planning of a GBV summit to address structural drivers of GBVF and developing and executing an integrated Sol Plaatje Local Municipality safety plan.
Phutanang community has been identified as a district hotspot and will be the location for GBVF campaigns targeting substance abuse by closing down illegal shebeens.
The municipality has also committed to fix all streetlights in the key GBVF hotspots during the 100
Day Challenge.
Pillar 2 deals with prevention and rebuilding social cohesion – #tacklingtoxicmasculinity
To tackle the issue of toxic masculinity, and how this contributes to GBVF, the Pillar 2 team in Tshwane, regions 1 and 2, will be identify two schools from each region to implement an educational program with the outcome of having the grade 8 learners develop an Anti-bullying pledge and be the ambassadors of this pledge in schools to combat acts of GBVF and support the victims and survivors of these human rights violations.
Pillar 3 deals with justice, safety, and protection – #nojusticenopeace
This Pillar has two teams, one working in Bloemfontein and the other in Tzaneen.
In Bloemfontein, the focus area is the Bloemfontein Maintenance Court. The team has set a goal to reduce the backlog cases (older than 6 months) by 75%, and a second goal is to improve the finalisation rate of maintenance enquiries from 50% to 75%. They also intend to screen all maintenance applications before enrolling them. The purpose is to ensure that matters that do not have any merits or cases that are not ready for court (for example where investigations are outstanding) are not enrolled.
In Tzaneen, the goal is to increase reported cases by 80%. The following sub-goals will make this achievable:
1. Get a satellite police station in one of the rural areas
2. Integrated service points (Thusong service centres)
3. Temporary shelter
Three social workers on the team offer debriefing services to all team members when the going gets
tough.
Pillar 4 deals with response, care, support, and healing – #victimcentricjustice
Their goal is to increase reporting of new cases by 300% in Matjhabeng Municipality, Lejweleputswa District, Free State. This will require coordinated effort between SAPS, DSD, the GBV court, civil society service providers, and the Thuthuzela Centre to provide reporting and psychosocial support services to emerging victims, survivors, and their families.
Pillar 5 deals with economic power – #saferworkspaces
This Pillar has partnered with Exxarro to end GBVF in the mining sector. Their overall goal: Say No To Gender Based Violence, Femicide and Sexual Harassment : reaffirming zero tolerance for GBV in the Mining industry.
Pillar 6 deals with research and information management – #integratedGBVFdata
This team is working in the Garden Route and is focussed on Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. Their goal is to, in 100 days, start using an integrated case management application for centralised victim/survivor-centric data to improve inter-departmental accountability and service delivery in the child sexual and related offenses case ecosystem. They aim to have 100% of cases in a given period registered on the system and referred to the Department of Social Development for the assignment of a social worker to each case by the end of 100 days.
Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) was officially declared a national crisis in 2019 following the first ever GBVF Summit on the African continent in 2018. The National Strategic Plan on GBVF was developed in consultation with all role players and published at the beginning of 2020.
Ever since, End GBVF Collective, the largest single volunteer network in South Africa, has been working tirelessly to build the necessary capacity to bring this plan to action. (source: www.gbvf.org.za )
President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a letter addressed to all the stakeholders involved in the roll out of the 100 Day Challenge, including 1000 Women Trust, said: “The NSP (National Strategic Plan) was birthed from collaboration and I’m pleased to see the spirit of partnership getting stronger.
“It is not easy taking up this challenge of breaking the silos and trying new and innovative ways to address the obstinate scourge of GBVF. However, your participation in this program is already beginning to define a new way of working that promotes disciplined execution, innovation and collaboration.
“With great pride and gratitude for your work , I encourage you to continue driving this movement forward. It is easy to become demotivated as you face setbacks, but remind yourself for whom you are doing this. Your work is meaningful and impactful, and even thought it may not be seen, it will undoubtedly be felt by all. So continue on this journey. You have my unbridled respect and support,” Pres Ramaphosa said.
Apart from its collaboration with the 100 Day Challenge, 1000 Women Trust is also deepening and widening its footprint by face-to-face meetings with women – sharing gender-based violence training in Graafwater, Laingsburg and Beaufort West within the next month.
On Thursday 28 th April there will be gender-based violence training at the Library Hall starting at 11h00.
On the 10 th and 11 th May, there will be gender-based violence training in Laingsburg and Beaufort-West.
The objectives of the 1000 Women Trust are to mobilise resources and give grants to organizations that support, raise awareness and provide opportunities for women and children who have been affected by violence.
The three new GBV-laws and the new dedicated desks at police offices in gender-based violence hotspots will strengthen women in the fight against the second pandemic, said Leonora Sauls, new trustee of 1000 Women Trust. Sauls is also the head of philanthropy of the Ackerman Family Foundation. Know the GBV-laws is part of a new campaign by 1000 Women Trust to challenge women around the country to equip themselves legally in case of domestic violence. The three new GBV-laws are: the criminal Law (sexual offences and related matters) amendment act, the criminal and related matters amendment act and the domestic violence amendment act. Said Sauls: The domestic violence amendment bill expands the definition of domestic violence to include actions as controlling or bullying behaviour and makes provisions for protecting people in engagements, dating and in customary relationships. The criminal and related matters amendment bill amends various laws that address GBV and offences committed against vulnerable people, she said. It also provides for additional procedures to reduce secondary victimisation of vulnerable people in court proceedings. It further regulates protection orders in response to domestic violence, she added. Sauls said: “Government is making progress in establishing dedicated desks at police stations in GBV hotspots. The desks are staffed by police officers who are specifically trained to provide victim-centred assistance and support. There are now 134 desks in operation and the goal is to have a GBV desk in all police stations countrywide. In my view, these bills as well as the GBV desks will strengthen the fight against GBV,” she added. Asked how gender equality in the South African workplace can be enhanced, Sauls said there must be a rethink of systems. Senior leaders must consider and understand what organizational policies and practices may be seen as supportive or dismissive of talented women, and shift toward more inclusive leadership . Best-practice organizations have an all-encompassing, systematic agenda to tackle gender equity in the workplace and are focused on supporting, retaining, and promoting diversity of all kinds. She said another way of enhancing gender equality in the workplace is to establish and execute flexible work agreements. Flexible work arrangements can take many forms, and even before the pandemic, flexibility was frequently cited as one of the key things wanted by women in the workplace . With the global shift toward more hybrid and remote ways of working, your organization will surely improve employee retention post-pandemic with flexible work arrangements . But even more important than establishing flexible policies is ensuring that employees feel truly “safe” to take advantage of them, said Fauls. Asked what other steps could be taken to eradicate the scourge of gender-based violence in South Africa, Sauls highlighted the following steps. Women’s full participation in civil society Programs that will facilitate financial independence for women. Providing accessible GBV clinical services in lower tier health facilities Addressing the needs of child survivors of gender-based violence. Support programs for all women in and outside of the workplace
The courageous and tireless gender advocate Marinda Lottering is waging war with limited resources against perpetrators of gender-based violence in the Central-Karoo who use their economic power as leverage to attack and assault helpless women – something that has become endemic in Beaufort-Wes and Laingsburg. Lottering has started a temporary emergency shelter in the heart of Beaufort-West in order to cater for women who are subjected to gender-based violence. These women, who lay charges at the police station, normally awaits transport to the closest shelter in Laingsburg, but Lottering does not want to leave them on the street while they wait. The facility will also serve as a GBV advice office for women in Beaufort West. “Last year, 1000 Women Trust and I had a Karoo-project where we held meetings and workshops for women who were victims of gender-based violence. The purpose of those meetings in Beaufort-West was to empower women on what they are to do when they are subjected to gender-based violence, where to go to for assistance, how to apply for an eviction order. “We also did training with many of these women to empower them on how to find their way out of abuse,” Lottering said. “Gender-based violence in Beaufort-Wes and surrounding towns of the Central-Karoo is rife. One of the biggest challenges is that more than 50 % of people in the area are without jobs. So many women are without work, they depend on men who drink heavily or use drugs and who abuse them. “These men consider women as their inferiors and as their objects. And when the women want to go to the police office, the perpetrators threaten them with more violence and tell them they will withhold money for food from them. And some of these women don’t have the skills to escape the cycle of violence and stay trapped,” says Lottering. “The courses I have done with 1000 Women Trust like the trauma training, anti-bullying and life skills training have been enormously helpful. Last year, we trained 37 women in Beaufort-West with the 1000 Women Trust material and 27 in Laingsburg with the same material,” Lottering added. One of the greatest challenges she faces, is to leverage support. 1000 Women Trust had been in the past and still is a life saver, but she needs other support as well. “I cannot do it on my own. I have called for a meeting for next week with the South African Police Services, the department of social development and churches in Beaufort-West in order to find help and solutions with the sky-high levels of gender-based violence.” Asked about the role of the church, Lottering said some of the churches in the Central-Karoo don’t help as some members of their senior management are guilty of the same problems that are so evident in the community and that is that they are perpetrators of gender-based violence themselves. Lottering said the most pressing need for her right now is office equipment, as well as food supplies as there is a high prevalence of women on the street who were violently assaulted and who have to fend for themselves and their children without food or drink. If people want to assist Lottering, they can email her on lotteringmarinda607@gmail.com or contact 1000 Women on WhatsApp 0614690479 Tina Thiart, trustee of 1000 Women Trust, welcomed the establishment of the emergency shelter in Beaufort West and congratulated Lottering for taking the brave step. “It was our objective with the Karoo-project (to establish the shelter). We urge our members and friends to donate to the GBV Advice Office,” said Thiart. The mission of 1000 Women Trust is to raise awareness, empower survivors and work towards eradicating all forms of violence against women. The Trust firmly believes that by uniting their voices, they can create lasting change and build a safer world for women and girls everywhere. To contact the Trust, send us a mail on info@1000women.co.za .
Leading activist against gangsterism and bullying in Mamelodi rave about 1000 Women Trust’s material
The pamphlets and the anti-bullying-toolkit of 1000 Women Trust have played a significant role in assisting the social worker Eunice Maseema, who is a leading activist in fighting gangsterism and bullying in the Jafta Mahlangu secondary school in Mamelodi-West. Maseema is a social worker of the Moses Mabhida Foundation. She says she has benefited from the anti-bullying material from 1000 Women Trust, women-led organization that combats gender-based violence. “The challenge we face at the adopted schools in Mamelodi is that there is a lot of gangsterism around the schools in the area as well as substance abuse, which plays a role in perpetuating bullying in the Jafta Mahlangu-school,” says Maseeema. “We have had incidences where learners who had taken in some substances, physically assaulted teachers at the school,” she says. “Our role is not only to conduct talks at the school and target perpetrators with the message that bullying is not cool. But we also have group sessions regularly – either after school or on weekends. “Furthermore, we take hands with other stakeholders to challenge learners who are bullies. We are in close contact with all the South African Police Services in Mamelodi. The embassy of Qatar has also provided us with more computers to help bullies pursue a different career patch. “We have reached out to parents in the community with the central message that bullying is inhumane and has severe consequences,” Maseema said. “The material of 1000 Women Trust has contributed to the skills development of the social workers and we have also positive feedback from learners who read the pamphlets of 1000 Women Trust.” Maseema said one of the greatest challenges that the social workers at the schools face, is how to break the connection between bullying and gangsterism and eradicate the negative cycle of anti-social behaviour. “Some of the learners join the gangs around the school at age 11. When they join, they receive R100 and when they try to leave the gangs, they have to pay R2000 to the gangs. “A challenge is to help learners see the positive role models who do not engage in bullying. Because many of those role models leave the area to join greener pastures. “But some of the learners drop out because they want to join the ranks of gang members who have smart cars,” Maseema added. “We have had some success as some learners dropped out, but due to our interventions they came back to school again. We try and enforce a procedure whereby every learner is checked by teachers, and social workers to attend every period of school “if we have more resources, we want to spread the work that we are doing, to the whole of Mamelodi, not only schools in Mamelodi West. Currently we focus on two primary schools and the Jafta Mahlanga secondary school. We aim to enlarge our footprint. “Another challenge is we need more money to purchase several computes to teach learners more skills as to much free time can exacerbate the problem of bullying,” said Maseema. It is well-known that 57 % of the 2.2 million South African learners have been subjected to bullying throughout their lifetime, and that 90 % of bullies later on become perpetrators of gender-based violence. In 2023, a total of 2981 learners in South Africa did the hart-hitting trauma buddy training of 1000 Women Trust. The Trust’s mission is to raise awareness, empower survivors and work towards eradicate all forms of violence against women. The Trust firmly believes that by uniting their voices, they can create lasting change and build a safer world for women and girls everywhere. For more information on what 1000 Women Trust is doing, visit www.antibully.co.za, visit the website on www.1000women.co.za or send Tina Thiart a WhatsApp on 0732079079 if you want your school or teachers or parents to do the anti-bullying course.
As we commemorate International Women's Day on March 8th, the 1000 Women Trust is proud to launch its "Know The Law" campaign. With a focus on inspiring, educating, equipping, and empowering women and women-led organisations, this initiative aims to simplify legal jargon and make crucial amendments accessible to all. In 2022, the government introduced three significant amendments addressing key issues affecting women's safety and rights. These amendments streamline protection order applications, ensure the seriousness of harassment claims by state police, and hold offenders accountable with appropriate punitive measures. Over the next few weeks, 1000 Women Trust will delve into each of these laws to keep individuals informed and engaged. Through social media, website resources, and interactive discussions, the campaign seeks to empower women with knowledge and foster gender equality. "At 1000 Women, we believe that knowledge is power," says Founding Trustee, Tina Thiart from 1000 Women Trust. "Our 'Know The Law' campaign embodies our commitment to empowering individuals through education and awareness. By understanding these amendments, women can better protect themselves and advocate for change." As part of the campaign, individuals are encouraged to share information with friends and family who may benefit from the resources provided. Together, under the hashtag #1000Women1Voice, the community can advocate for change, invest in women, and foster gender equality. Follow our "Know The Law" campaign and join the conversation on our Facebook and Instagram social media pages – 1000 Women 1 Voice.
Equipping women with the awareness of what bullying and gender-based violence is, what their rights are, where they can report this abuse and how they can get out of the cycle of violence, but also empowering them with skills to design bags and pillows, is part of Fransien Nzika’s role in the City of Ekurhuleni. Nzika, equipped with course material provided by 1000 Women Trust on gender-based violence, bullying and trauma training counselling, embarked on the work of touching the hearts of hundreds of women subjected to gender-based violence just after COVID-19. “We have taught the women what gender-based violence is, what their rights are, where they can phone for help or where to go to in order to receive assistance if the police officers are not sympathetic,” said Nzika. But Nzika has also seen it as her role to help women understand that they can be self-sufficient, that they have what it takes to succeed economically without having to rely heavily on men who are perpetrators of gender-based violence. “Many women lack the confidence and have that mindset that a man must take care of them. I empower them to be self-sufficient and don’t need a man. One of the things that is challenging is that some of these women who were subjected to repeated gender-based violence, withdraw the charges simply because they are economically dependent,” said Nzika. “The magnitude of gender-based violence in Ekurhuleni is quite massive, but many women do not talk about it,” she said. The group sessions that she has had, utilizing the 1000 Women Trust-material, has been popular. There are free food and drinks, provided by 1000 Women Trust. “So many of these women come an go, but some do return for more sessions. “It is not merely group sessions. We also empower them by teaching them to do design work of products like pillows and handbags, and it is quite uplifting as it create awareness that they do have the skills to become independent,” said Nzika. Nzika works meticulously on doing follow-up calls to women whom she has not seen for a while an prompted by Nzika, they come back. She has made some progress in the never-ending fight against gender-based violence perpetrators, but says the biggest challenge is still that women in Ekurhuleni suffers in silence and hide the scale of GBV in their communities or are stuck in abusive relationships and lack the will to get out of the cycle by being self-employed. Lucretia Samsam is a tireless worker and community activist who utilizes the 100 Women Trust anti-bullying toolkit and information about gender-based violence to change hearts and minds in Freedom Park, an informal settlement in Ottery. But Samsam has also wandered over to Gugulethu to share information about the danger of bullying and cyber bullying with women in the township. She has also engaged with learners and teachers from Ferndale Primary school where her daughter is a learner. “One of the objectives of my work is to make people in Freedom Park aware on the meaning of Human Rights day on the 21nd March and how we as community collectively can fight crime,” she said. Samsam is currently not employed, but said she is absolutely passionate about helping children and adults about the dangers of bullying and cyberbullying. “One of the greatest achievements of my work though using the 1000 Women Trust course material is that I have created enormous awareness amongst children of the dangers of bullying and how they can fight for themselves to fend off bullies, but also how they can engage with teachers to help protect them from perpetrators of bullying,” said Samsam. “One of the greatest enjoyments of my work is that when I walk across a field in Freedom Park, they shout my name, they know what I am doing and that I am making a difference,” she adds. 1000 Women Trust is a women-led organization whose mission it is to raise awareness, empower survivors and work towards eradicating all forms of violence against women. The Trust firmly believes that by uniting their voices, they can create lasting change and build a safer world for women and girls everywhere.
Equipping women with the awareness of what bullying and gender-based violence is, what their rights are, where they can report this abuse and how they can get out of the cycle of violence, but also empowering them with skills to design bags and pillows, is part of Fransien Nzika’s role in the City of Ekurhuleni. Nzika, equipped with course material provided by 1000 Women Trust on gender-based violence, bullying and trauma training counselling, embarked on the work of touching the hearts of hundreds of women subjected to gender-based violence just after COVID-19. “We have taught the women what gender-based violence is, what their rights are, where they can phone for help or where to go to in order to receive assistance if the police officers are not sympathetic,” said Nzika. But Nzika has also seen it as her role to help women understand that they can be self-sufficient, that they have what it takes to succeed economically without having to rely heavily on men who are perpetrators of gender-based violence. “Many women lack the confidence and have that mindset that a man must take care of them. I empower them to be self-sufficient and don’t need a man. One of the things that is challenging is that some of these women who were subjected to repeated gender-based violence, withdraw the charges simply because they are economically dependent,” said Nzika. “The magnitude of gender-based violence in Ekurhuleni is quite massive, but many women do not talk about it,” she said. The group sessions that she has had, utilizing the 1000 Women Trust-material, has been popular. There are free food and drinks, provided by 1000 Women Trust. “So many of these women come an go, but some do return for more sessions. “It is not merely group sessions. We also empower them by teaching them to do design work of products like pillows and handbags, and it is quite uplifting as it create awareness that they do have the skills to become independent,” said Nzika. Nzika works meticulously on doing follow-up calls to women whom she has not seen for a while an prompted by Nzika, they come back. She has made some progress in the never-ending fight against gender-based violence perpetrators, but says the biggest challenge is still that women in Ekurhuleni suffers in silence and hide the scale of GBV in their communities or are stuck in abusive relationships and lack the will to get out of the cycle by being self-employed. Lucretia Samsam is a tireless worker and community activist who utilizes the 100 Women Trust anti-bullying toolkit and information about gender-based violence to change hearts and minds in Freedom Park, an informal settlement in Ottery. But Samsam has also wandered over to Gugulethu to share information about the danger of bullying and cyber bullying with women in the township. She has also engaged with learners and teachers from Ferndale Primary school where her daughter is a learner. “One of the objectives of my work is to make people in Freedom Park aware on the meaning of Human Rights day on the 21nd March and how we as community collectively can fight crime,” she said. Samsam is currently not employed, but said she is absolutely passionate about helping children and adults about the dangers of bullying and cyberbullying. “One of the greatest achievements of my work though using the 1000 Women Trust course material is that I have created enormous awareness amongst children of the dangers of bullying and how they can fight for themselves to fend off bullies, but also how they can engage with teachers to help protect them from perpetrators of bullying,” said Samsam. “One of the greatest enjoyments of my work is that when I walk across a field in Freedom Park, they shout my name, they know what I am doing and that I am making a difference,” she adds. 1000 Women Trust is a women-led organization whose mission it is to raise awareness, empower survivors and work towards eradicating all forms of violence against women. The Trust firmly believes that by uniting their voices, they can create lasting change and build a safer world for women and girls everywhere.
The prominent women-led organization 1000 Women Trust, a leading NGO in the fight against gender-based violence, has launched a major national campaign urging parents to make a pledge to #MakeTime to speak to their sons to teach them about consent, boundaries and respect for women – and in this simple act, join the cause of fighting against the ongoing, horrific levels of gender-based violence. The campaign centres on a children’s doll – Krissy Doll – that appears to have been brutally assaulted, exhibiting all the hallmarks of domestic violence. In a digital film, two young girls are playing with the doll, putting make-up on the doll’s face to cover up cuts and bruises. “Our Krissy Doll is a strong denotation of how women cover up or hide the abuse or violence that is inflicted upon them. By showing a potential future in which little girls accept battered and bruised dolls as if this were the norm, we are hoping to shock South Africans into having critical conversations with their sons”, says Tina Thiart, co-founder and trustee of 1000 Women Trust. South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has said, "Gender-based violence thrives in a climate of silence. With our silence, by looking the other way because we believe it is a personal or family matter, we become complicit in this most insidious of crimes.” To assist adults in navigating these difficult conversations, 1000 Women have made free-for-all digital resources available at talkingtoboys The site hosts age-appropriate talking points and tips on how to speak to boys from the age of one to young men in their teens, an auto-calendar function to set a reminder to make time, and the option to share a pledge to #MakeTime on Facebook and Twitter to drive further awareness of the need to “teach our sons the right way”. “All we’re asking is for South Africans to #MakeTime to speak to their sons. Words are powerful and children’s behaviour and attitudes are learnt, shaped and moulded by those who care for them. If every South African took just half an hour a month to talk to their sons, or boys in their care, about the right way to think and act, consent, boundaries and respect for women, we would soon see less violence, abuse, rape and murder,” says Thiart. But it is not only our sons. Women also need to rethink how they view themselves. A recent survey indicated that when asked if it is acceptable for a man to hit a woman, 3.3% of men and 2.3% of women in South Africa said that it is. Despite the percentage being small, it will never be possible to completely eliminate violence against women while there are still women who believe that it is acceptable to be hit by a man, at the same time not understanding their constitutional rights or what is regarded as socially unacceptable behaviour. “So, while making time to talk to our sons, we also need to encourage our daughters and help them understand that abuse is not okay. Abuse against them, or against anyone they care about should not be covered up. We can’t remain silent, we need to speak up if we want change,” says Thiart. “Through this campaign we hope that each and every South African will take up the responsibility to have these types of conversations with our children from an early age, so that it becomes a social norm and prevents these crimes from following our daughters into the future”. To find out more, pledge your support to make time to talk to your children, visit talkingtoboys and join the conversation at #MakeTime on social media. FOR MEDIA QUERIES Tina Thiart 1000 Women trustee 0732079079 Lara Fouche Assistant to the Trustee 0842361860
NGOs in South Africa who serve the vulnerable and marginalized or leading the fight against gender-based violence, are grossly neglected by the department of social development with regards to allocation of funding. And this is exacerbated by the fact that this department of social development is acting more like a skills development agency than alleviating the plight of the poor and the downtrodden women in society, said Tina Thiart, trustee of the women-led organization 1000 Women Trust. 1000 Women Trust is one of South Africa’s leading NGOs in the fight against gender-based violence since 2003. Thiart demanded that the alleged misappropriation of funds by the department of social development should be investigated as a matter of urgency. She said according to the news agency GroundUp, the Gauteng department of social development has granted nearly R114 million to two organizations over two years, one a beauty academy called Beauty Hub and the other a former shelf company, Daracorp. The department of social development reduced the amount allocated to NPOs by R233 million in 2023. Sectors hardest hit were older people (where the budget for NPOs was cut by R54 million compared to the previous year, HIV services, cut by R98 million and community care, cut by R26 million. Beauty Hub academy said its own commitment is to educate and train young people, giving them the necessary skills to be professional hairdressers and beauty therapist in an industry that is so often informal and poorly regulated. The department said it had funded Beauty Hub to train 565 people receiving a social security in 2022/23, with a further 565 targeted for training in 20232024. That meant over the two years the Beauty Hub will have received funding to train 1130 students at an average of over R56000 per person, according to GroundUp. Thiart, though, said the department of social development is acting as a skills empowerment hub, something that is the task and mission of the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA). That is also the role of a Seta like the culture, arts, tourism, hospitality and sport sector education and training authority. “It is clear that the department of social development is misunderstanding its role, where an organization like SEDA could easily have fulfilled that mission with regards to the allocation of fund to fulfil skills development functions,” Thiart added. “Many NPOs who are at the forefront of the fight against gender-based violence, has received little or no funding since 2023. “A total of 2981 parents and teachers were part of the Trust’s anti-bullying course in 2023, while the organization equipped 2724 trauma buddies – councillors that support survivors of gender-based violence,” said Thiart. “We also trained more than 10000 women as community leaders to support survivors of GBV in communities and did not received a single cent in support from the department of social development. And we are not the only NPOs affected,” she said. According to adv. Bernadine Bachar, director of the Saartjie Baartman-centre, many community-based organizations in South Africa who are leading the fight against gender-based violence, or are in the shelter-sector, may face imminent closure. That is due to the fact that the department of social development advised the sector at the end of 2023 that due to budget cuts it may not be able to fund these organizations in the future, a move that may leave many survivors of gender-based violence on the street. Thiart said of the almost R2.3 billion funds paid to NPOs, most got less than R1 million and some received little or nothing. Yet Daracorp and Beauty Hub’s funding was almost unaffected by the budget cuts of 2023. “The money paid to them could have provided by a Seta or by SEDA, and not by a department whose mission states that it should enable the poor, the marginalized and excluded people,” Thiart said.
Today, let's talk about something super important – keeping ourselves safe and happy in the digital world. We all know the internet is an amazing place, but sometimes, there are a few not-so-nice folks out there. Here's what to look out for and what you can do: 1. Trust Your Instincts: If something feels off, it probably is. Trust your gut feelings! 2. Keep Personal Info Personal: Guard your private details like a treasure chest. Don't share them with just anyone. 3. Be Cyber-Smart: Update your passwords regularly and make them strong like superhero shields. 4. Friend Wisely: Only add people you know in real life. Quality over quantity, right? 5. Think Before You Post: Once it's out there, it's hard to take back. Be mindful of what you share. 6. Stand Up, Speak Out: If you see someone being cyberbullied, don't be a bystander. Speak up and support! 7. Report and Block: Most platforms have tools to report and block bullies. Use them like a boss! 8. Digital Detox: Sometimes, it's okay to take a break. Unplug, breathe, and enjoy the real world. 9. Surround Yourself with Positivity: Follow accounts that inspire and uplift you. Your online space should be your happy place! 10. Talk About It: If you're facing cyberbullying, don't keep it to yourself. Share with someone you trust, like a friend, family member, or teacher. Remember, you are strong, you are awesome, and you deserve all the good vibes in the world! Stay tuned for more tips on how to own your online space and kick those cyberbullies to the digital curb! 😎💻
Today, let's talk about something super important – keeping ourselves safe and happy in the digital world. We all know the internet is an amazing place, but sometimes, there are a few not-so-nice folks out there. Here's what to look out for and what you can do: 1. Trust Your Instincts: If something feels off, it probably is. Trust your gut feelings! 2. Keep Personal Info Personal: Guard your private details like a treasure chest. Don't share them with just anyone. 3. Be Cyber-Smart: Update your passwords regularly and make them strong like superhero shields. 4. Friend Wisely: Only add people you know in real life. Quality over quantity, right? 5. Think Before You Post: Once it's out there, it's hard to take back. Be mindful of what you share. 6. Stand Up, Speak Out: If you see someone being cyberbullied, don't be a bystander. Speak up and support! 7. Report and Block: Most platforms have tools to report and block bullies. Use them like a boss! 8. Digital Detox: Sometimes, it's okay to take a break. Unplug, breathe, and enjoy the real world. 9. Surround Yourself with Positivity: Follow accounts that inspire and uplift you. Your online space should be your happy place! 10. Talk About It: If you're facing cyberbullying, don't keep it to yourself. Share with someone you trust, like a friend, family member, or teacher. Remember, you are strong, you are awesome, and you deserve all the good vibes in the world! Stay tuned for more tips on how to own your online space and kick those cyberbullies to the digital curb! 😎💻
