This project will follow every case of violence against women reported in the Overstrand, South Africa, through the police, hospitals, social services and the courts until it is resolved. Each case receives a private tracking number, and 31 trained community ambassadors support survivors, so no woman is lost between the services meant to protect her.
South Africa has one of the highest rates of women killed by an intimate partner in the world, almost five times the global average (Abrahams et al., Global Public Health, 2025). Strong laws exist, but cases are lost as they pass between police, hospitals, social services and the courts, and many are struck from the court roll. This project will benefit women who report violence across the Overstrand district, Western Cape, including those in low-income communities such as Zwelihle.
STAND gives every reported case a private tracking number through the municipality's existing Citizen App. Our team traces each case by hand through the police, prosecutors, courts, hospital and social services, and escalates any case that stalls. 31 trained community ambassadors support survivors and help them report safely. The ambassadors also share knowledge on violence and alcohol harms with their neighbours.
This project will give women who report violence across the Overstrand, a district of more than 130,000 people, a clear route from first report to justice. Every traced case shows where cases are lost, so police, courts, health and social services can close those gaps together. The 31 trained ambassadors stay in their communities as lasting support. A proven model can then be taken to other districts across South Africa, reaching many more women.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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