Pretoria - In an effort to protect victims of abuse, the Gauteng Department of Health and Social Development has provided funding to 23 shelters for abused women in the 2010/2011 financial year.
This has resulted in 511 women and 213 children benefitting from the services rendered by the department. The department said one new shelter was registered and three additional registered shelters received funding.
Counseling services were provided to 11 634 abused women in shelters and within the communities by both Government and NPO sector.
Eight Women with Disabilities received services whilst residing in shelters for abused women.
The department also continued providing funding support to 62 existing protective workshops for persons with disabilities managed by Non Profit Organisations (NPOs). These protective workshops provided services to 3 572 persons with disabilities.
In addition, the department continued to provide residential services to 1777 people with disabilities through its 38 NPO and two Government residential facilities.
In the same financial year, 207 persons with disabilities resided in four assisted living facilities run by NPOs.
The department continued funding 58 NPOs rendering Victim Empowerment Services.
Four girl child empowerment programmes, six social skills programmes to perpetrators and a programme on the promotion of women's rights were implemented during the 16 days of Activism of no violence against women and children last year.
Furthermore, the department funded one shelter for abused adult males in the West Rand.
The admission criteria of the 21 shelters funded in the period under review make provision for women to be admitted with their children. Three shelters have family wings that accommodate women with boy children.
Services rendered at these shelters include the provision of residential care, assisted living facilities, social work services and referral to specialized services and protective workshops.
In the period under review, contemporary training courses were provided with an increased focus on computer skills and trade skills. A large number of the current sewing cooperatives were exited from the Development Center programme.
The department also provided support to women with regards to funding to start small businesses, training for entrepreneurial activities or the purchasing of equipment.
