As South Africa prepares to commemorate and raise awareness once more around gender-based violence and violence in South Africa, Swartland Municipality reflects with satisfaction on our year-round activism to combat GBV and promote greater awareness.
Swartland Municipality has become an example of best practice in creating sustainable, year-round programmes and initiatives that help to raise awareness and fight against GBV. Swartland Municipality created and launched the first GBV Ambassadors programme in the Western Cape. The GBV Ambassadors programme identifies and trains nominated ward committee members on how to provide support and where to refer victims of GBV. Knowing and understanding the referral pathway and the resources available to victims makes the ambassadors an important point of first contact for people who often do not know what to do or who to turn to. It helps to place familiar faces in the community that are often more accessible to victims of GBV than formal authorities and law enforcement structures. Swartland’s GBV Ambassador programme has become the template for the GBV Ambassadors programme now being rolled out across the Western Cape.
The Dahlia Centre, which opened earlier this year, has become a key structure in our fight against GBV in the Swartland. In a few short months, the centre has become invaluable to the broader Swartland community. The centre provides support services for GBV, domestic violence, child protection, early childhood development, and community development. The opening of the centre has seen a significant increase in referrals of GBV and violence against children, clearly demonstrating the need for a staffed facility where residents feel safe to seek assistance.
Throughout the 16 Days of Activism, Swartland Municipality will be coordinating additional awareness programmes along with our partners at the Western Cape Department of Social Development, the South African Police Service, and our GBV Ambassadors. Swartland, however, has moved to a cycle of making GBV awareness and care an everyday responsibility, rather than limiting awareness to 16 Days. Our efforts are actively making a difference in preventing GBV and violence against children every day of the year.
As a local government, we will continue to set an example of best practice in demonstrating how local authorities can launch and manage sustainable programmes. We are grateful for the support and buy-in from our partners, as well as our broader community, whose support made the establishment of our programmes possible. As we continue working to end violence in our homes and communities, let’s remember: Everyone has a story.
END
