WC launches new GBV ambassador programmes to combat GBV

The Western Cape’s fight against gender-based violence (GBV) has reached the West Coast. The Department of Social Development (DSD) has launched its 14th and 15th GBV Ambassador programmes in the Matzikama and Cederberg municipal areas.

A total of 41 volunteers, 26 in Matzikama and 15 in Cederberg will provide information about support services for survivors of abuse and domestic violence.

They will also raise awareness in their communities about GBV and available resources.

For some volunteers, the work is personal. Lutzville resident Jane Skippers has assisted survivors for years.

“With the training I received from the department, I am empowered to become even more involved and to delve deeper into helping my community,” she said.

Retired teacher Hilda-Ester Job from Lambert’s Bay said she joined to continue giving back. “I want to encourage other residents to get involved, whether to help a child, a woman, or a man who doesn’t have a voice,” she said.

The new volunteers bring the province-wide total to over 650 GBV Ambassadors. Since its first launch in Swartland in 2022, the programme has expanded across metro and rural areas.

Ambassadors link survivors to social services, refer cases to social workers and police, and raise awareness of GBV in their communities.

The programme operates in multiple municipalities, including Swartland, Delft, Grabouw, Philippi, Heinz Park, Ceres, and Central Karoo, as well as across Cape Town’s North, South, and East Metro regions.

Rural areas such as the Cape Winelands, Overberg, and Klein Karoo also host trained volunteers.

Gender-based violence remains a serious problem. The Social Development Department recorded more than 24,000 victims accessing psychosocial support in a single year.

Sexual offences in the province numbered 7 294 in 2022/23. In rural municipalities such as Matzikama and Cederberg, 670 people accessed GBV-related psychosocial services in 2023/24.

The programme has helped expand community capacity to respond to GBV. Ambassadors provide local points of contact for survivors who might otherwise have limited access to support. They also play a role in raising awareness and reducing stigma around reporting abuse.

For residents like Skippers and Job, volunteering is about more than awareness, it is about connecting survivors to help and ensuring their communities have resources to respond.

The West Coast programme reflects a broader provincial effort to tackle GBV at a local level and provide structured support in areas where it is most needed.

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Cape Argus