Sarah Lekale is the only South African at World Conference on GBV and Women’s Shelters.

Sarah Lekale (third from left) from Welkom was the only South African representative at an international conference on women’s shelters. With her are from the left Joy Lange, Claudia Lopez, Sarah, dr. Zubeda Dangor, Sima Diar and Anisa Moosa. (Image:Supplied)

More than 1,000 delegates from 100 countries gathered for the 5th World Conference on Women’s Shelters (5WCWS) in Sydney, Australia. Sarah Lekale, Managing Director of Goldfields Family Advice, was the only South African present.

Sarah explains this annual conference, led by internationally acclaimed trailblazers, aims to address global violence against women, offering a platform for sharing experiences and strategies to improve safety and independence for women and children worldwide, with among others, shelters.

Human trafficking, a growing concern in South Africa, was a key topic of discussion at the conference. It is defined as the use of force or deception to exploit individuals for labor or sex; human trafficking is a severe human rights violation occurring globally.

Being from the Goldfields, a rural area, Sarah’s focus and input was about rural shelters that can also accommodate victims of human trafficking. “Best practices of sheltering and how governments can assist shelters, it being a governmental responsibility, was also discussed.”

“Other countries receive 100% subsidy for the running of shelters - South Africa is still struggling with 40% subsidy without an increase for 6 years.”

Sarah says Goldfields Family Advice, a non-profit organization she founded, assists victims of gender-based violence, sexual offences, and human trafficking. “Violence does not discriminate, neither do we. We also support men and boys who face abuse.” She is exploring alternatives to government funding, including part-nerships with businesses and corporations. Those interested in supporting the cause can contact Sarah at 072 144 7171.