S/Sudan officials on GBV victim empowerment visit to S/Africa

By Agence de Presse Africaine Last updated Aug 18, 2022

APA-Pretoria A South Sudan delegation is in South Africa on a social development-led study tour to learn from Pretoria on how it handled empowerment support to victims of gender-based violence, APA learnt on Wednesday. South Africa has declared GBV as a second pandemic following a surge in violence against women. The South Sudanese delegation on Wednesday…

APA-Pretoria (South Africa) A South Sudan delegation is in South Africa on a social development-led study tour to learn from Pretoria on how it handled empowerment support to victims of gender-based violence, APA learnt on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Ministry of Social Development said the tour was undertaken as part of the country’s Women’s Month commemoration that takes place during the month of August annually.

“The study tour seeks to strengthen collaboration and bilateral working relations as well as sharing of lessons on victim empowerment programmes,” the ministry said.

South Africa has declared GBV as a second pandemic following a surge in violence against women.

The South Sudanese delegation on Wednesday visited the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC) in the Salvokop district of Pretoria, the ministry said.

The GBVCC is a 24-hour accessible victim empowerment support tool which deals with various cases of abuse – including prevention, response, care, and support for victims of gender-based violence.

Among its services, the centre provided immediate care, counselling and offers help, hope and the chance of a better life to victims of gender-based violence, the office said.

“To achieve this, the GBV Command Centre uses mobile technology to estimate the location of a victim, assign the case to the closest support service available, including professional social workers in the field, to record and receive continuous feedback on the case,” it added.

The delegation has also toured a victim empowerment shelter in the town of Bronkhorstspruit in Gauteng province.

This year’s Women’s Month is themed “Women’s Socio-Economic Rights and Empowerment: Building Back Better for Women’s Resilience.”

NM/jn/APA