The 1000 Women Trust

The 1000 Women Trust was not built around a single service or building. It was built around a belief: that if women have access to knowledge, skills, and resources, they will find their own solutions to combat violence against women and girls. Over more than 20 years of operation from its base in Fish Hoek, Cape Town, this registered trust (IT738/2014), NPO (163-132), and PBO (930 051 359) has acted as a multiplier — amplifying the capacity of women-led GBV organisations, training the counsellors who serve survivors, creating platforms for survivor voices, and using media, campaigns, and digital tools to shift attitudes at scale.

The scale of South Africa's GBV crisis gives context to why this kind of work matters: Minister Bheki Cele's statistics referenced on the 1000 Women website document over 10,500 rapes, 1,500 attempted murders, and 14,400 assaults against women in just three months — and 881 women murdered in the same period. South Africa ranks third globally in rape cases.

What They Do

Grants and Skills Development for GBV Community Organisations 1000 Women's core funding mandate is to mobilise resources and direct them as grants and skills development support to women-led GBV organisations across South Africa — organisations that are often underfunded, under-capacitated, and doing critical work without adequate support. This positions 1000 Women as a crucial part of the infrastructure that keeps the GBV sector functioning.

Trauma Counsellor Training — 10,000+ People Supported 1000 Women provides essential training and support to trauma counsellors operating in communities across South Africa. Over 10,000 individuals have been supported through this programme, with 2,724 trained in the most recent reported year alone. Building the supply of skilled trauma counsellors is a fundamental bottleneck in GBV services: without them, survivors may receive no psychological support at all.

WhatsApp Chatbot — Free GBV Resources (087 373 1585) The 1000 Women 1 Voice Chatbot is accessible on WhatsApp — add the number 087 373 1585 and send "hi" to begin. The chatbot provides free access to courses, resources, research opportunities, and GBV-related information. This digital-first approach extends reach to survivors and community workers anywhere in the country without requiring data, cost, or physical travel.

#HearMeToo — Survivor Storytelling Platform Launched in 2018 following the writing project Every Scar Tells a Story, #HearMeToo invites GBV survivors to share their experiences publicly — creating a space for healing through narrative, community recognition, and the visible understanding that survivors are not alone. The platform is accessible at hearmetoo.co.za.

#StopBullying — Anti-Bullying Training and Toolkit 57% of South African high school learners have been bullied at some point. 1000 Women's anti-bullying campaign and toolkit (available at antibully.co.za) reached 2,981 parents and teachers in the most recent year — recognising that bullying is a pathway into adult GBV, and that prevention begins in schools.

#TalkingToBoys — Male Engagement and Father Involvement The #TalkingToBoys initiative (talkingtoboys.co.za) addresses the role of fathers and male figures in challenging gender-based violence — building understanding that ending GBV requires men's active participation, and that boys need to grow up seeing respect modelled, not just instructed.

RememberHER — Femicide Remembrance 1000 Women maintains a RememberHER project documenting and memorialising women who have been killed — giving permanent public recognition to the names, faces, and stories of femicide victims, and refusing to let their deaths become statistics.

Lobbying and Advocacy 1000 Women actively lobbies for greater legal protection, economic empowerment, compensation, and housing for women and girls affected by GBV — contributing to the policy environment in addition to on-the-ground work.

1000 Women Trust: Office 108B, Valyland Centre, Fish Hoek, Cape Town. Phone: +27 61 469 0479. Email: info@1000women.co.za. WhatsApp Chatbot: 087 373 1585 (send "hi"). NPO 163-132. Instagram and Facebook: @1000Women1Voice.