Following the 5th World Conference of Women’s Shelters (5WCWS), the National Shelter Movement of South Africa has issued a strong call for greater inclusion and representation of African and Global South voices in international platforms addressing gender-based violence (GBV).
Speaking during the Africa Regional Plenary, Head of the NSMSA Executive Dr. Zubeda Dangor reaffirmed the continent’s vital role in the global women’s shelter movement, highlighting the systemic barriers which prevented some of their African counterparts from attending the conference, and continue to silence African leadership at global platforms.
Dr Dangor says, “When visas are withheld and when women leaders from Africa are treated with suspicion, it suggests that their contributions are less valuable and that their expertise is less credible. We refuse to accept this. Their voices are not only relevant but essential to our collective mission. We need greater representation of African experts on these global platforms, and there are many.”
The NSMSA, representing over 100 shelters across South Africa, highlights that restrictive visa regimes, limited funding, and lack of regional inclusion continue to weaken the global fight against GBV. “For decades, women in Africa have built shelters from nothing, supported survivors through war and conflict and sustained hope in the face of unthinkable adversity. To exclude them is to impoverish this network, weaken the global movement and undermine the very spirit of inclusivity on which it was founded,” says Dr Dangor.
Joy Lange, Board Member of NSMSA, noted that while international counterparts often receive from 60% up to 100% government funding, and enjoy private sector support such as Australia’s CommBank Next Chapter initiative, African shelters continue to operate under unpredictable and limited support. Despite these challenges, South African shelters are punching above their weight in innovation. Lange highlighted that while there was valuable information sharing, apart from the NSMSA’s funding model, no other innovative funding model was shared at the conference.
Lange says, “South Africa’s shelter sector leads in how NGOs network, research, and engage government, but the cracks show when government delays funding. Still, our sector remains resilient. In fact, the other two models were centred around how they gather and network. They were not at the stage where they took it one step further like us, with research, lobbying & advocating, and annual Indaba’s.”
From the frontline realities, Nadia Munsamy, representing KwaZulu-Natal shelters, emphasized the shared challenges among global participants, yet underscored Africa’s unique resilience. Munsamy says, “Many countries face similar issues – patriarchy, financial constraints, and state neglect. But African women have sustained hope through community-led, resourceful responses. We must ensure that future conferences reflect this resilience by amplifying African-led solutions, not sidelining them.”
Dr. Dangor and the African Caucus announced their commitment to engage constructively with the Global Network of Women’s Shelters (GNWS) to dismantle systemic exclusions. They resolved to engage diplomatic channels to address restrictive visa policies that limit Global South participation,
convene an in-person African caucus meeting to strengthen continental collaboration, and advocate for the 6th World Conference of Women’s Shelters to be hosted in Africa, with South Africa proposed as the host country.
“Our strength lies in our diversity, our power lies in our unity, and our future depends on ensuring that every voice is heard – especially those most often silenced. Let us stand together against exclusion Let us declare that no border, no policy, and no prejudice will divide us – for the safety, dignity, and rights of women everywhere, we stand united,” says Dr Dangor.
Watch the highlights video here.
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