Government provides financial support for organisations fighting GBVF

COMMUNITY-BASED organisations (CBOs) who are involved in interventions around behaviour change, community education and awareness, mental health and psychosocial support services, trauma response, training and survivor legal support have been urged to apply for funding.

This announcement was made by President Cyril Ramaphosa following the unveiling of a Gender Based Violence and Femicide Response Fund 1, which is part of the national response to the scourge of rape, sexual violence and femicide pervading every sphere of the society.

Ramaphosa said the funding would provide financial support to relevant programmes and campaigns that would raise awareness, lead to mass action and result in behavioural change.

“The unacceptably high levels of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) in South Africa are a blight on our national conscience and a betrayal of our constitutional order for which so many fought and for which so many gave their lives,” he said. Ramaphosa said the violence against women has become more than a national crisis.

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He said: “Together, organisations, government and the private sector are collaborating and playing their part against gender-based violence and femicide.”

The International Women’s Forum South Africa (IWFSA) played the leading role in the establishment of this fund.  The GBVF Response Fund1 is calling on CBOs involved in activities under Pillars 2 and 3 of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF (Prevention and Rebuilding Social Cohesion, and Justice, Safety and Protection) to apply for funding.

The grants for a maximum of a two-year period, ranging from R50 000 to R250 000 per year, have been made available to successful applicants in support of these crucial activities.   Funding is also available for organisations acting as intermediaries to provide grants, capacity development and technical support to CBOs that cannot meet the compliance requirements to apply directly. Organisations acting as intermediaries to support CBOs carrying out these activities are also urged to apply.  

Tshikululu Social Investments will be facilitating these applications for funding on behalf of the GBVF Response Fund1.

For more information on this grant, which organisations will be eligible for funding, as well as details on to apply, visit https://tshikululu.org.za/case-study/request-for-proposals-community-based-responses-to-gender-based-violence-and-femicide/.  

Alternatively, contact Tshimangadzo Munzhelele or Leroy on 011 467 3341 between 08:30 and 16:30 on Monday to Friday. Applications close at 17:00 on August 6.