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, taking place from 15 - 17 September 2026, is held in partnership with the National Shelter Movement South Africa (NSMSA), under the theme: “The Social Integration of GBVF Interventions”.
The annual engagement seeks to strengthen 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 critical 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 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) community remain particularly vulnerable to violence and abuse, while men are also affected.
The National Shelter Indaba will bring together government officials, practitioners, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to examine challenges affecting the delivery of services to survivors and identify practical measures to improve support, care and protection.
The Department of Social Development leads Pillar 4 of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF (NSP-GBVF), which focuses on Response, Care, Support and Healing. The pillar is implemented in collaboration with other government departments, civil society organisations, partners and other stakeholders.
The department said the Indaba also provides a platform for stakeholders to identify and address challenges affecting service delivery, share best practices and develop practical strategies to strengthen support and services for women and children affected by GBVF.
“Since its inception in 2021, the National Shelter Indaba has provided a professional platform for government officials, practitioners, role players and other stakeholders who are committed to ending GBVF to share their knowledge, experiences and lessons learned.
“It has also created space for participants to brainstorm and develop strategies to address gaps and challenges affecting services to survivors of gender-based violence and their children,” the department said in a statement.
The NSMSA is a registered non-profit organisation that provides support to shelters for women and their children affected by gender-based violence across all nine provinces. The shelters provide 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.
The centre can also be reached by sending a “PLEASE CALL ME” to 1207867#, sending an SMS with the word “HELP” to 31531, or via Skype at Helpme GBV, where professional social workers are available to provide assistance. – SAnews.gov.za
