1000 Women Trust was established in 2003 by Wendy Ackerman and Tina Thiart. At this time, women’s issues were not on the radar of ordinary funders. When issues like rape, or sexual and reproductive health rights arose, funders were not interested and as a result, there was no money being directed towards women’s organisations that supported women to know their rights and respond to GBV and SRHR with confidence. 1000 Women Trust wanted to change this, and began mobilising women all over South Africa to kick start change and enable funding bodies and organisations to be run by women, for women.
1000 Women Trust believe that with the right tools and information, women can create change for themselves, and ensure that spaces are created that allow women to heal and feel confident when facing issues such as gender based violence and sexual and reproductive health rights. Because of this, for the past 17 years, 1000 Women Trust has been supporting and building the capacity of women lead organisations, and developing toolkits, campaigns and interventions that enable women’s organisations across South Africa to empower the women they work with.
Project Orange, initiated by the 1000 Women Trust, aims to provide critical support to women and children affected by Gender-Based Violence (GBV), particularly within the crucial first 24 hours. Our GBV Warriors, compassionate and dynamic women from the community, serve as the first point of contact for survivors. (First Responder) Working closely with the police and social services, they provide immediate assistance and ensure survivors have access to the support they need. We propose establishing GBV Community advice offices in vulnerable communities. These offices will serve as safe spaces, offering physical safety, emotional support, and guidance to survivors.