Women Against Rape
Women Against Rape (WAR) is a South African NPO operating in Cape Town and Gauteng that delivers Comfort Packs to rape survivors at partner SAPS stations — containing clean underwear, sanitary towels, toiletries, a teddy bear, and a chocolate — to restore a sense of dignity at the point of first reporting. WAR also runs school and corporate education programmes on abuse prevention and supports a network of trauma counselling centres.
Contact & Location
- Murieli Johnson
- Cross Roads Centre, 25 Wolsey Mews, London, NW5 2DX
Opening Hours
Opening hours not available. Contact the organisation directly.
About
About Women Against Rape (WAR)
Women Against Rape (WAR) is a registered South African NPO with operations in the Western Cape and Gauteng. The organisation was founded on the principle that every rape survivor — at the moment they are most vulnerable and must re-engage with the world by going to a police station — deserves to be received with dignity. WAR's work is built around that moment of first contact and the immediate aftermath of assault.
WAR works in partnership with Tshwane trauma centres in Laudium, Wolmer, and Tshwane, as well as partner police stations across its operational areas. The organisation also supports long-term rehabilitation through regular upliftment programmes at trauma centres.
Comfort Packs
WAR's signature programme is the delivery of Comfort Packs to partner SAPS stations and trauma centres. When a rape survivor arrives at a police station or trauma centre, they receive a Comfort Pack containing: clean underwear, sanitary towels, a range of personal care toiletries, a teddy bear, and a chocolate. These practical items address immediate physical needs while the teddy bear and chocolate carry a symbolic message — you are valued, you are not forgotten. WAR distributes these packs to trauma centres and police stations in the Cape and Gauteng regions.
Education and Prevention
WAR runs interactive education programmes at schools and corporate workplaces, covering: - Age-appropriate school programmes on appropriate and inappropriate touches, recognising abuse, and reporting — targeting learners from primary school age. - Awareness talks at companies on the realities of sexual violence in South Africa, practical prevention strategies, and how to support survivors in the workplace. - Community presentations at churches, schools, business and professional associations.
Self-Defence and Safety
WAR distributes pepper spray to women across South Africa who cannot otherwise access personal safety tools, in partnership with Kuros! — a conscious business based in Austin, Texas, that works with NGOs to provide defensive tools to women in developing countries. WAR became an official Kuros! partner in 2015.
Counselling Network
WAR supports a network of counselling services around the country, connecting survivors to appropriate resources and scheduling upliftment programmes at the trauma centres it partners with. WAR does not provide direct one-on-one counselling but acts as a connector and supporter within the broader GBV response ecosystem.