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 .

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! 😎💻

Today, we're on a journey to unveil the world of cyberbullying, breaking down the different types that unfortunately exist in our digital space. Understanding these varieties is our first step in creating a safer online community. So, let's dive into the cyber seas: 1. Flaming or Roasting: It is: A direct, personal attack using profane language and insulting comments in a social setting, aiming to intimidate the victim. 2. Cellphone Bullying: It is: Using mobile phones for harassment, intimidation, or threats, impacting individuals' mental well-being. 3. Gender-based Violence Bullying (LGBT): It is: Targets individuals from the LGBT community, involving harassment, threats, or discriminatory behavior based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. 4. WhatsApp Bullying: It is: Occurs on the messaging app and includes various forms of harassment, threats, or spreading rumors that can lead to emotional distress. 5. Revenge Porn: It is: Involves distributing intimate photos without consent, causing emotional distress and potential harm to victims' reputations and well-being. 6. Gaming and Cyberbullying: It is: Involves using online gaming platforms for harassment, threats, or exclusion, negatively impacting players' experiences and mental well-being. 7. Harassment: It is: Involves persistently sending cruel or threatening messages to a person's email or mobile phone, causing alarm, annoyance, or substantial emotional stress. 8. Denigration: It is: Spreading malicious gossip or rumors digitally to harm a person's reputation, including posting or sending altered photos to portray them negatively. 9. Impersonation or Identity Theft: It is: Occurs when someone breaks into another's email or social account, posing as them to send damaging messages or images, aiming to harm their reputation. 10. Outing: It is: Involves sharing someone's secrets or embarrassing information online without their consent, often using deception to reveal personal details. 11. Cyber Stalking: It is: Similar to traditional stalking, entails threats and intimidation through repeated online harassment and threats. 12. Happy Slapping: It is: Involves physically assaulting someone while capturing the violence on a mobile phone camera. 13. Social Exclusion: It is: Involves intentionally leaving someone out of group activities, conversations, or message threads, causing feelings of isolation and exclusion. 14. Trickery: It is: Involves befriending a target, gaining their trust, and then deceiving them by maliciously sharing their secrets and private information. 15. Fraping: It is: A blend of "Facebook" and "rape," occurs when a bully gains control of someone's social media account to post humiliating or embarrassing content. 16. Masquerading: It is: Involves creating a fake online profile or identity to impersonate someone without their consent, often to send or post harmful content. 17. Dissing: It is: Spreading cruel information about a target through public posts or private messages to damage their reputation or relationships. 18. Trolling: It is: Intentionally inciting negative reactions by posting inflammatory or attacking comments online, often without a personal. It's like navigating through a digital jungle, right? But don't worry, awareness is our best armor! Stay tuned for our next blog where we'll chat about what to look out for and how to tackle these cyberbullies head-on!

The constant barrage of verbal and physical abuse by a pastoral male family member, the silence of the pastoral female family member and physical battering at the hands of an older male student at Rethabile High School in Mamelodi took its toll on Lorraine Moko. But the intervention by her maternal grandparents and the therapeutic work done by a counsellor when she was a second year student in social work at Huguenot College in Wellington, had a long-term healing impact on her life. Moko, who boasts 17-years experience as social worker, is now employed in the women-led organization 1000 Women Trust as social worker/administrator and plays a pivotal role in facilitating the #HearMeToo focus groups during 16 Days of Activism. “I grew up in a pastoral family. The pastoral male family member who was supposed to be my protector and guide was verbally abusive and I often heard these words ‘you will never amount to anything, you are stupid, lazy bones, good for nothing” recalled Moko. “I also had to wear long clothes to cover the bruises from physical beatings,” she said. “To top it all, when I was in grade 8 in high school there was an older male student who beat me up in the name of seeking love from me, coupled with what was happening at home made me fear for my life,” she said. “Somehow, I knew that this abuse was wrong, and I devised means to escape. At the end of my first year in high school I went to stay at my maternal grandparents’ house in the rural areas to avoid abuse. My grandmother had a first-hand account of the abuse at the hands of the pastoral male family member and the silence of the pastoral female family member. When I went to my grandparents for December holidays, I packed as much as I can with a plan not to return back to the abusive home. I feared that both pastoral parents would not allow me to stay with my grandparents, when I bravely told the pastoral female family member she agreed that I can stay. My grandparents agreed to take me in for the rest of my high school career. “If it was not for my grandparents, I don’t think I would have finished matric. “During my university years, the department of social work said that before we went out to do field work, we needed therapeutic sessions. I had therapeutic sessions with a counsellor for nine months. That had a major healing impact on my life. It was a game changer and because of that healing I could have a healing influence in the life of other people for the past 17 years,” said Moko. When asked what advice she would have for women subjected to gender-based violence, she said women should reach out to other women. And women hearing of a person subjected to gender-based violence, should not be quick to judge, but should listen empathetically. “Also, women should report the case, and not withdraw.” Moko will play a major role as administrator and mentor when 1000 Women Trust coordinate the #HearMeToo-sessions during the 16 Days of activism from 25 th November to 10 th December as facilitators engage with 15 to 20 women in each of the groups who have been subjected to gender-based violence. The current list of 67 #HearMeToo-groups across nine provinces will be reduced to 25 before the group sessions start on 25 th November. 1000 Women Trust will be the overall custodian and facilitator of the #HearMeToo-groups. Moko’s job description is individual work, group work, community work, research and administrative work. She said when assessing each of the #HearMeToo-groups, the facilitators will have to be people who have done a course in trauma training that was hosted by 1000 Women Trust, and must be in possession of a certificate to prove that they have done the course. The members of each group would be survivors of gender-based violence that will share their experiences with the facilitator, who will help them cope with and alleviate the effects of gender-based violence. In each group there will also be a social worker who will do one-on-one counselling sessions with the women and create a safe space for affected women who were abused by both men and women considering that there is LGBTQ relationships. The social workers will also conduct follow-up sessions with the women that are part of the #HearMeToo-groups. The facilitators will run the #HearMeToo-sessions for each of the 16 days. They will also guide women on practical ways to deal with gender-based violence, like the utilization of a neutral person when they report gender-based violence at community service centres. Upon the conclusion of the #HearMeToo-sessions, each facilitator will write a report. Moko will consolidate the reports and find commonalities and write a comprehensive report about the common ground between all the reports on general trends in communities with regards to gender-based violence. 1000 Women Trust will serve these #HearMeToo-groups by sharing pamphlets on gender-based violence with them, as well as an anti-bullying toolkit so that they can guide schools in their communities with regards to steps to safeguard those schools against bullying. “There are so many learners who commit suicide, become depressed and drop out from schools after being subjected to sustained verbal bullying or even cyber bullying, that is why the anti-bullying-toolkit is essential for the well-being of the learners,” Moko said. 1000 Women Trust will be conducting a cyber bullying course on-line for women during the 16 Days of Activism in November and December. The importance of these on-line sessions to safeguard South African teenage girls and women from the effects of bullying is crucial. The estimated suicide rate in South Africa is 23.5 per 100 000, which translates to about 14 000 deaths from suicide per annum. 1 It is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 15–29 in the country. 4 The years of productive life lost and the economic costs of suicide are a burden to both families and the nation, and many of these suicides are caused by bullying and cyber bullying, Moko warned. 1000 Women Trust do not only facilitate the running of #HearMeToo-groups in November and December, but also run other groups in April and July, Moko said. 1000 Women Trust’s objective is to mobilize resources to give grants to women’s organizations that support, raise awareness and provide opportunities for women and children who have been affected by violence. For more information about 1000 Women Trust, visit the Trust on www.1000women.co.za or send an email to info@1000women.co.za

The release of the crime statistics for the three months between July and September 2023, the rape and murder of the Delta Park High School teacher Kirsten Kluyts, and the multiple stabbing of a Cape Peninsula University student by her husband, a 30-year old student at the University of the Western Cape, underline the reality that South Africa is losing the fight against gender-based violence. In the three month period between July and September 2023, 13090 people suffered sexual assault while 42 297 others were seriously assaulted. A total of 10 516 reported incidents of rape revealed that the second pandemic is still raging on. The 26-year woman was stabbed on Saturday 11 November at South Point, a private student residence in Belhar. The assailant was a 30-year old believed to the victim’s husband and has been arrested. The University of the Western Cape suspended the man. A case of attempted murder against him has been postponed to the 20 th of November in the Bellville Magistrate Court. The stabbing incident which went viral on social media, trigged widespread anger. It has emerged that the suspect has another pending case of rape, which is due on the 4 th December. According to Gasant Abarder, an UWC spokesperson, the student was barred from all UWC association residences. But what has happened to Kirsten Kluyts and to the 26-year old student of the Cape Peninsula University and the outcry it has caused, is not new. In 2019, Uyinene Mrewetyana, a student at the University of Cape Town was raped and murdered in Claremont by Luyanda Botha. It caused an international outcry, and anger. But perhaps it is time for South Africans to redirect their anger and dismay at the South African government. In her book Rape Unresolved: Policing sexual offences in South Africa, Dee Smythe, professor in the department of public law at UCT, pointed to the fact that about 150 women report being raped to the police in South Africa daily. Fewer than 30 cases will be prosecuted and not more than ten will result in a conviction. This translates into an overall conviction rate of 4 to 8 percent of reported cases. According to the South African Police, the total 2019 reported rape rate was 90.9 per 100 000 people. However, SAPS estimated that only 1 in 36 cases are actually reported to police, by this measure there could have been more than two million additional rapes that went unreported. Why are these cases not reported and why are there such a small conviction rate? One of the reasons is that women who report gender-based violence to the police, are often dismissed, harassed, treated with disdain. In short, they face secondary victimization. This has been a common theme from previous #HearMeToo-sessions across South Africa. The bottom line is that South Africa loses the battle against gender-based violence on two fronts – in the hearts and minds of men who think that women are their possession and their inferiors, and secondly at the police station where women are on the receiving end of even more abuse. In its annual report for 2022/2023, the Gender Based Violence and Femicide Response Fund said it has become more apparent that the law-enforcement and judiciary systems are failing the victims of gender-based violence. The rate of convictions for these heinous crimes remain too low. A well-functioning police and justice system will play an important role in ensuring the victims of gender-based violence are able to access justice. “We will be stepping up our efforts to engage government to ensure that decisive steps are taken to remedy this,” stated the report. Tina Thiart, co-founder and trustee of 1000 Women Trust, said there will be no respite for vulnerable women if more resources by the GBVF Response Fund does not find its way to community-based organizations. Also, when engagements with government and the police and judicial systems take place, there must be realistic and measurable goals like demanding that the conviction rate improve by at least 30 % over the next three years and steps to make it happen. Otherwise discussions between government and women-led organizations will just be another talk show, similar to the second presidential summit in November 2022, and nothing of practical value to women subjected to gender-based violence. will be forthcoming. “1000 Women Trust is very disturbed to see very little change in the murder-rate of women, femicide. We appeal to the SA Police Force to make efforts to protect women, to keep alleged rapists in the jail and to respond to the calls for help from women. A women with a protection order should receive help. Keep women safe,” said Thiart. For more information about 1000 Women Trust, visit the website on www.1000women.co.za , or contact the Trust on info@1000women.co.za .

PRESS RELEASE ON BEHALF OF 1000 WOMEN TRUST: 24 th NOVEMBER 2023

MEDIA-RELEASE ON BEHALF OF 1000 WOMEN TRUST: 3rd NOVEMBER 2023

 PRESS RELEASE ON BEHALF OF 1000 WOMEN 1 VOICE: 24 th AUGUST 2023

National plan against GBV failed SA women due to poor implementation, warns 1000 Women Trust

Presidential summit set for November 2022 amidst acknowledgement about implementation challenges

Emily O’Ryan of Postcards to Parliament, 1000 Women Trust join forces to eradicate GBV

Gender-activist Pekeur, Ubuntu call for a state of emergency after so many child-murders

Government departments must submit monthly progress reports against GBV, says President

Frustrated delegates at second presidential summit targeted Cele and Lamola with angry questions

Fourteen shelters in the Western Cape face imminent closure if they don’t receive emergency funding

As part of a ground-breaking initiative, the women-led organization 1000 Women Trust will be sending postcards to President Cyril Ramaphosa during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based violence and femicide, while mobilizing South African NGOs against the scourge, and offering government the expertise and practical skills of participating organizations to eradicate the pandemic. 16 Days of Activism is an annual international campaign that runs from Friday 25th November to Saturday 10th December and it’s 2022-theme is: UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls. Emily O’Ryan, an associate of 1000 Women Trust and chief executive of the non-profit-company Post to Parliament, said a total of 1000 letters would be compiled by participating NGOs and would be delivered to the Presidency in Pretoria by the 5thDecember. Members of NGOs who are compiling letters, will ensure that it be delivered at the Golden Acre in Cape Town and at the City of Good Hope Castle from 29th November until 1st December where exhibitions of the work of NGOs at the forefront of the fight against gender-based violence are to be displayed. “The aim of the postcards-to-president-initiative is to mobilize a network of NGOs in South Africa who focus on gender-based violence, to think of practical ways in which we can work with the police, department of social development, courts and social workers to improve service delivery to women and children,” said Tina Thiart, director of 1000 Women Trust. “We will offer the president our skills, knowledge and expertise to change the lives of victims and keep everybody accountable. We as NGOs don’t want to simply report bad governmental service delivery, but we want to offer practical steps to fight gender-based violence as well,” said Thiart. “We in the NGO-sector who combat gender-based violence do possess the skills, the knowledge and the empathy and we know what must be done to make it happen. During lockdown, 1000 Women Trust trained 7000 women in trauma training support, more than 2000 gender-based violence life coaches and communicated with 189 NGOs in all provinces to address the pandemic of GBV,” Thiart added. All the letters to the president will be collected at the Golden Acre and the Cape of Good Hope Castle and all of them will be personally delivered to the presidency on 5th December. Online-letters will also be collected on the 1000 Women Trust-website (www.1000women.co.za) or on the Posts to Parliament-website (https://post2parliament.wordpress.com) or both, said O’Ryan. O’Ryan said that the initiative of writing to the president is practical and steeped in rich history. “During his US presidency from 2008 to 2016, Barack Obama read ten letters from citizens of the United States daily. “We are convinced that president Ramaphosa, who has delivered the keynote-address at two presidential summits against gender-based violence and femicide, will invest time and energy into reading these letters and collaborate with resourceful, skilled and committed NGOs to make practical headway in eradicating gender-based violence,” said O’Ryan. O’Ryan said the letters should be written under the following themes: One thing I wish my child knew, One thing I wish my parents knew, Protection Orders, Teen Pregnancy, Bullying, Being gay, Being a man, Being a woman, The death penalty, Shelters. South Africa is one of the unsafest countries in the world to be a woman. Between April and June 2022, a total of 9516 women reported rape at the South African Police Service. It is estimated that a woman is raped in South Africa every 26 seconds. 1000 Women trust is a women’s organization that aims to raise awareness around gender-based violence, rape and abuse and mobilise resources. For more information, visit 1000 Women Trust on www.1000women.co.za or email the Trust at info@1000women.co.za .

1000 Women Trust participates in three exhibition events at end of November to fight GBV

Formation of GBV-desks a step in right direction, but NGOs, BUSA express skepticism about presidential summit

Fourteen of the twenty shelters that form part of the Western Cape Women’s Shelter Movement (WSM) face closure imminently should they not be able to raise emergency funding, said Delene Roberts, chairperson of the Western Cape Women’s Shelter movement. Shelters are unable to raise sufficient funds to cover the deficit in their budgets after the […]

As part of a ground-breaking initiative, the women-led organization 1000 Women Trust will be sending postcards to President Cyril Ramaphosa during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based violence and femicide, while mobilizing South African NGOs against the scourge, and offering government the expertise and practical skills of participating organizations to eradicate the pandemic. 16 […]

The anger of the delegates to the second presidential summit against gender-based violence and femicide on the first day of the summit at Gallaghar Estate was palpable and there were many frustrated and combative delegates who targeted specifically two senior minister with their questions about the government tendency to pay lip-service to action against GBV. […]

Three exhibition events focusing on gender-based violence and featuring the women-led organization 1000 Women Trust and other like-minded NGOs focusing on fighting gender-based violence, will occur from 29th November until the 2nd of December as part of the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. 16 Days of Activism will run from 25th November to […]

The formation of gender-based violence desks at 1017 police stations to improve accountability and performances, is a step in the right direction, yet serious skepticism about the second presidential summit at the Gallagher Estate in Midrand was expressed by representatives of civil society and even Business Unity South Africa (BUSA). Tebello Mosikili, deputy national commissioner […]

“We want to do nothing less than fundamentally and forever change society – so that the women and children of this country may live in safety, in peace and in happiness,” were the words of President Cyril Ramaphosa during his address during the second presidential summit at the Gallagher Estate on Tuesday 1st November where […]

CAPE TOWN – The Ubuntu Rural Women and Youth Movement, founded and led by the gender activist Wendy Pekeur said in a statement  the ongoing scourge of gender-based violence across the country warrants nothing less than a state of emergency and that the president of South Africa, Cyril Rampahosa, should act decisively and immediately in […]

The harrowing experience of Emily O’ Ryan while at the University of Stellenbosch when she witnessed the gender-based violence to which three of her fellow students were subjected, prompted her to start an NPC which has set a new trend in bringing the second pandemic and its depressing impact on the youth, to the doorstep […]

The Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide will be held at Gallagher Estate, Midrand on 1 and 2 November 2022, under the theme: “Accountability. Acceleration and Amplification, NOW!” Progress might have been made in the implementation of the 2019 Presidential Summit Declaration and its National Strategic Plan on gender-based violence and femicide, yet levels […]

The police, health professionals like nurses and the courts are failing survivors of gender-based violence dismally and that severely undermines any progress made by government since the 2019 Presidential summit declaration and its national strategic plan, warned Tina Thiart, director of the NGO 1000 Women Trust. Thiart, directors of several other NGOs at the forefront […]

Caroline Peters is universally acclaimed, revered, loved and respected as an activist, a community builder and as ageless warrior against gender-based violence and femicide on multiple platforms for almost four decades. She survived gang-rape 42 years ago and is one of the Western Cape leaders in the NGO-sector combating gender-based violence by serving on the […]

Labeeba Stanley is a committed community leader and soup kitchen and vegetable garden coordinator, who consistently equips troubled teens with training courses. She helps to transform them into becoming self-sustaining, tax-paying citizens of Mzansi.

Latifah Jacobs is an award-winning, tireless activist and community builder who has become a seminal figure in the Western Cape in alleviating food insecurity as coordinator of the soup kitchens of 1000 Women Trust and as founder for the NPO Aurorah Kuils River Community Action Network.

Matilda Fakazi’s never-say-die spirit inspires many Resourceful, compassionate, dynamic and a business entrepreneur par excellence, Matilda Fakazi encapsulates everything that a champion is about. She not only heads a thriving shopping, catering and events management company, but also employs other women and runs an NGO that serves meals to vulnerable people. She has a never-say-die-spirit. […]

Mymoena Scholtz is a visionary leader, hard-working community developer, exceptional food provider nd a skilled networker with the ability to generate funds to secure the sustainability of the NPO Where Rainbows Meet. She is also exceptionally skilled at up-skilling workers and inspiring young leaders.

Vanessa Nelson is a multi-skilled leader, an exemplary facilitator, and a determined and defiant warrior whose ability to overcome adversity, reinvent herself and inspire others, has been remarkable. Thanks to her inquisitive mind and a desire to improve her skills, she has seamlessly stepped into the roles  as founder of the NPO Hope for the Future and facilitator of #HearMeToo-sessions of […]

In a ground-breaking initiative, the business development centre of excellence (BDCE) and SASSETA on Wednesday 28th September launched the Londoloza partnership aimed at creating awareness and safeguarding communities in 45 municipal areas across South Africa against gender-based violence, while also equipping facilitators with entrepreneurial skills and knowledge to kickstart their own businesses and thus reduce vulnerability […]

A comprehensive, wide-ranging talk with 720 learners from Grade R to Grade 7 to make them aware of the importance of respect between boys and girls and the need of gender equality while displaying an orange cloth around a tree in the eco garden, has caused a buzz at Bergvliet Primary School and has had […]

Bullying, how it is interlinked with gender-based violence and how it adversely impacts the mental health of learners across South Africa, was at the center of a discussion on Saturday 17th September as Tina Thiart, director and trustee of 1000 Women Trust, addressed members of 20 clubs of the service organization Rotary. The informative session was […]

1000 Women Trust, one of the leading NGO’s in South Africa at the forefront of the fight against gender-based violence, has stepped up its campaign to eradicate bullying at South African schools by training hundreds of the 4050 teachers and parents who have completed the anti-bullying course the past 18 months – including visually impaired persons – to become […]

Approximately seven million South African girls do not have access to, or cannot afford to buy, sanitary products, which means 30 % of South African girls do not attend school while they are on their period. But this status quo must change immediately, as 1000 Women Trust and other like-minded NGO’s in South Africa are […]

The shocking revelations about sexual offenses against women and children during Women’s Month and the acknowledgment by the minister of finance that he is being investigated by police for sexual assault of a masseuse while on holiday with his wife at the Kruger National Park’s Skukuza camp is deeply concerning The minister, Enoch Godongwana, denied […]

Economic empowerment and compassion are pivotal as South Africa commemorate women’s month 2022 and Women’s Day on 9th August 2022. In total, 7.9 million South Africans are currently unemployed, or 34.5 % of the population. In all, 36.4 % of women are without jobs, while 33 % of the men are unemployed. During Women’s Month, South Africans pay tribute to the more than […]