Benoni: The need to strengthen and coordinate responses to Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) will take centre stage when Social Development Minister Dina Pule leads the sixth National Shelter Indaba in Benoni, Johannesburg. The three-day indaba, scheduled from 15 to 17 September 2026, is held in partnership with the National Shelter Movement South Africa (NSMSA), under the theme: 'The Social Integration of GBVF Interventions'.
According to South African Government News Agency, the annual engagement seeks to bolster the country's response to the GBVF crisis through stronger government leadership and coordination, prevention and risk reduction, public responsibility, and broader mobilisation. GBVF remains a significant human rights and societal challenge, affecting individuals, families, and communities across all sectors of society. Women and children, persons with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community remain particularly vulnerable to violence and abuse, while men are also affected.
The National Shelter Indaba will convene government officials, practitioners, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders to examine challenges affecting the delivery of services to survivors and identify practical measures to enhance support, care, and protection. The Department of Social Development leads Pillar 4 of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF (NSP-GBVF), focusing on Response, Care, Support, and Healing. This pillar is implemented in collaboration with other government departments, civil society organisations, partners, and stakeholders.
The department stated that the Indaba provides a platform for stakeholders to identify and address challenges affecting service delivery, share best practices, and develop practical strategies to enhance support and services for women and children affected by GBVF. Since its inception in 2021, the National Shelter Indaba has served as a professional platform for government officials, practitioners, and other stakeholders committed to ending GBVF to share their knowledge, experiences, and lessons learned.
The NSMSA, a registered non-profit organisation, provides support to shelters for women and their children affected by gender-based violence across all nine provinces. These shelters offer essential services, including safety, counselling, support, and empowerment to survivors of GBVF. The organisation's vision is to 'provide a united voice on issues of sheltering women and children affected by gender-based violence.'
The department has called on all South Africans to play an active role in confronting GBVF in homes, workplaces, communities, and places of worship. This includes challenging attitudes, behaviours, and practices that perpetuate gender inequality, violence, and abuse against vulnerable groups. Members of the public can report incidents of gender-based violence to the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre on 0800 428 428.