14 March 2025: The National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA) acknowledges the reduced VAT increase from 2% to 0.5% as a minor relief for shelters but remains deeply concerned about the broader funding gaps and Treasury’s weak response to addressing gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in the national budget. While the slower rise in costs slightly alleviates immediate financial...
NEWS | Shelters in Crisis: VAT Increase Could Leave GBV Victims Without Refuge
With the country left in suspense following the cancellation of the Budget Speech, last month, all eyes are now on what could be a make-or-break fiscal announcement. As speculation swirls over a potential 2% VAT hike, South Africa’s shelters for abused women and children are bracing for devastating consequences. The National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA) warns that, at...Continue reading
NEWS | Stay Safe this Festive Season: GBV Helpline is Available Day and Night
The festive season brings joy and celebration – but for many, it’s also a time of heightened vulnerability to domestic violence and abuse. The National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA) reminds survivors that help is available 24/7, no matter where you are in the country. The NSMSA’s toll-free helpline (0800 001 005), staffed by trained social workers, provides critical...
NEWS | NSMSA Receives Award at the “Change the Script” Campaign Launch
On 30 November 2024, Dr. Zubeda Dangor – representing the Nisaa Institute for Women’s Development and the National Shelter Movement of SA (NSMSA) – attended the launch of Tosunga Baninga’s “Change the Script” campaign, which focuses on challenging societal norms that perpetuate violence and fostering a culture of accountability. The event, held as part of the 16 Days of Activism...
NEWS | NSMSA: “Administrative Failures are Failing Survivors”
9 December 2024: The National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA) deplores the systemic failures exposed in the Public Protector’s latest report on gender-based violence (GBV). The findings paint a harrowing picture of survivors left stranded by an ineffective justice system, placing immense strain on the country’s shelters. For the NSMSA the report is both a wake-up call and a...Continue reading
NEWS | Businesses Urged to Step Up in the Fight Against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide
28 November 2024: The National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA) is calling on the private sector to take greater responsibility in addressing the country’s escalating crisis of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). As the nation marks 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, the NSMSA emphasises that the epidemic of violence against women not only...
NEWS | NSMSA: Exposing Gaps in SA’s Response to GBV and Femicide – Unsolved Crimes, Underfunded Shelters
27 November 2024: “As South Africa marks the global 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, those of us working in shelters are regularly confronted by harrowing stories of survivors who have endured violence at the hands of intimate partners,” says the National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA). “In a country where three women are...
NEWS | National Shelter Movement Calls for Urgent Action and Accountability in Addressing Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Crisis
6 November 2024: The National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA) – an umbrella organisation serving 103 shelters – is calling for immediate government intervention to address the devastating impact of inadequate support for the shelters serving as the frontline defence against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). The NSMSA highlights the dire consequences of underfunding and poor coordination, with funding...
NEWS | GBV Shelter Indaba: Calls for Funding and Action Intensify Ahead of the Medium-Term Budget
24 October 2024: According to the National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA), the recent Annual GBV Shelter Indaba (held on 16-17 October) once again revealed that while shelters play a significant role as a disruptor of violence, funding shortfalls and an overall lack of support continue to jeopardise efforts to protect victims of gender-based violence (GBV). According to Dianne...
Gauteng’s Underspending on Social Development Stymies Efforts to Stem GBVF: Shelters are in Crisis Amid Unspent R554 Million
7 October 2024: As South Africa braces for the upcoming Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on 30 October, the National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA) calls for urgent reforms in social care funding, especially in the fight to stem gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). This comes after the Gauteng Department of Social Development returned R554 million in unspent funds...