OPRET ADVICE OFFICE: Contribution to the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NSP on GBVF)

OPRET Advice Office is a community-based non-profit organisation committed to advancing social justice, human rights, and gender equity. Aligned with the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NSP on GBVF), OPRET contributes across multiple pillars through a combination of direct services, advocacy, prevention, and community mobilisation. This report outlines our key activities and impact under each relevant pillar of the NSP.

PILLAR 1

Accountability, Coordination, and Leadership.

 

Strengthening Ethical Leadership and Multisectoral Collaboration.

 

OPRET ADVICE OFFICE is committed to ethical, trauma-informed leadership that prioritizes accountability and survivor-centered responses. Our leadership team is highly trained, with expertise in trauma-informed care, legal support, and safeguarding principles. This includes formal training on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) under the United Nations framework.

 

We have strengthened multisectoral coordination and collaboration across key local and provincial stakeholders to build a united front in the fight against GBVF. Our strategic partners include:

•      Department of Social Development

•      Mogalakwena Local Municipality (Local Councillor)

•      Thuthuzela Care Centre

•      South African Police Service (SAPS)

•      Traditional Leaders

•      Department of Justice

•      Department of Health

•      Department of Education

•      South African Social Security Agency (SASSA)

Through these partnerships, OPRET ensures seamless referral systems, survivor care coordination, and sustained engagement across service sectors.

  

Advocacy and Public Awareness

 

OPRET actively conducts advocacy and awareness campaigns to challenge harmful norms and promote a zero-tolerance culture for gender-based violence. These campaigns target schools, communities, and local institutions to foster collective responsibility in addressing GBVF.

BACK
PILLAR 2

Prevention and Rebuilding of Social Cohesion

 

Addressing Harmful Norms and Building Resilient Communities

OPRET Advice Office is actively engaged in preventing gender-based violence (GBV) by addressing the underlying social, cultural, and structural drivers of violence. Our prevention strategies are rooted in community engagement, education, and behavioural change, with a focus on transforming harmful gender norms and rebuilding social cohesion.

Key interventions include:

•     Community Dialogues and door-to-door campaigns to challenge GBV-perpetuating norms and promote inclusive, violence-free communities

•     Targeted educational outreach to women, children, elderly, persons with disabilities, and the LGBTQIA+ community

•     School-based GBV prevention programmes, using materials from:

•      YOLO (You Only Live Once) — addressing risk behaviour among youth

•      ChommY — promoting positive peer influence and values among children and adolescents

•   Building community capacity to prevent and respond to violence through awareness and local mobilisation

Through these approaches, OPRET helps shift attitudes, promote healthy relationships, and foster collective accountability in the fight against GBVF.

BACK
PILLAR 3

Justice, Safety, and Protection

 

Facilitating Access to Justice and Ensuring Survivor Safety

OPRET supports survivors of GBV by facilitating access to justice, safety, and legal protection through a combination of direct services and coordinated partnerships with key stakeholders.

Our work under this pillar includes:

•      72-hour Emergency Shelter for women and children in crisis

•      Mediation services and support in conflict resolution

•      Legal advice and paralegal assistance aligned with domestic laws and policies

•      Restorative justice processes, supporting healing and accountability

•      Case management and referrals for protection orders

•      Survivor support at court, including accompaniment and emotional support

•      Shelter-based support services, ensuring dignity and recovery

•      Human Rights awareness campaigns through communication and advocacy

•      Picketing and peaceful protest at courts and government institutions to demand justice and accountability

Our efforts ensure that survivors receive timely, rights-based protection and navigate justice systems with dignity and support.

BACK
PILLAR 4

Response, Care, Support, and Healing

 

Holistic Survivor-Centered Care for Healing and Recovery

OPRET prioritises a trauma-informed and survivor-centered approach to ensure that victims of GBV receive comprehensive care and support that promotes both short-term containment and long-term healing.


Our psychosocial response includes:

•      Victim assessment and individualised care planning

•      Trauma containment interventions for immediate emotional stabilization

•      Psychoeducation to help survivors understand trauma and healing processes

•      Ongoing counselling and debriefing sessions, both during and after crisis events

•      General counselling services tailored to emotional, psychological, and relational needs

•      Referrals and follow-ups to ensure continuity of care and access to broader services

BACK
PILLAR 5

Economic Power

 

The Sisterhood Advocates Project: Empowering Women as Community Responders

Through the Sisterhood Advocates Project, OPRET has recruited and mobilized over 100 women under the Social Employment Fund, in partnership with Hlanganisa Institute for Development in Southern Africa. This flagship initiative builds women’s capacity to provide community-based paralegal support and serve as first responders to incidents of violence against womxn (VAW).

Key interventions include:

•         Training in paralegalism, case management, and survivor-centered support

•      Accompaniment to lay charges at SAPS, and assistance in applying for protection and maintenance orders

•      Referrals to domestic violence shelters and healthcare services

 

In addition, OPRET promotes skills development and economic inclusion by:

•      Hosting entrepreneurship and business development training for NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) individuals

•      Providing a platform for Social Auxiliary Work students to complete their practical placements, thereby strengthening the local social service workforce

BACK
PILLAR 6

Pillar 6: Research and Information Management

 

Advancing Knowledge and Evidence-Based Practice

OPRET collaborates with local and international research institutions to strengthen data collection, monitoring, and learning in the GBVF sector. Our key contributions include:

•      Participation in Project FEDISA with the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), supporting research into the socio-legal dimensions of GBVF

•      Partnership with Black SASH for SASSA service delivery monitoring, ensuring accountability in social protection systems

•      Offering research and data collection opportunities for students from local and international institutions, thereby contributing to a robust evidence base and informed advocacy

BACK