Fourteen women’s safety shelters in the Western Cape are facing closure, as finances to keep operating run dry.

This comes as the country is still commemorating the 16 Days of activism for no violence against women and children campaign.

There are currently twenty shelters in the province that are dedicated to providing a safe space for women and children escaping abuse.

Fourteen of these shelters are unable to raise enough funds to cover the deficit in their budgets, and with no financial intervention, these facilities may close at the end of December 2022.

As such, the Western Cape Women’s Shelter Movement’s Lucinda Evans says they’re holding a conference on Thursday to find ways of securing funding for these shelters.

“ We are reaching out to the country and say to the country if there’re 14 in the Cape Town Metro, that include the rural area, we desperately need your help. We desperately need your support to keep the doors of our shelters open for the next 365 days”.