About the project

In South Africa, one-third of women and girls aged 15 years and older have experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence. Despite its prevalence, intimate partner violence (IPV) is often not well understood or routinely screened for in healthcare settings. Recognizing this critical gap, Groote Schuur Hospital Trust (GSHT) has implemented a comprehensive GBV intervention including screening, immediate onsite counselling, as well as external referrals to community-based GBV services at GSH and Mitchells Plain.

In only 18 months (end of January 2025), 24,000 women have been screened across both hospitals, with 11.5% experiencing violence at home in the last year. Of these, 40% opted for onsite counselling, and 50% of those survivors have been referred to external NGO partners for continued support. The program has also trained almost 800 healthcare workers in GBV detection and referral, significantly enhancing their ability to provide compassionate and effective support to those in need.

Help us continue this critical service by donating today – our goal is to expand the service to a community health clinic in 2025. This requires an additional R500 000 to ensure this intervention can be rolled out and tested at this healthcare facility level.