PROFILE: How the idea of Women for Change SA started
- Ofentse Reitumetse Tladi
- May 3, 2024
- 3 min read
By: Ofentse Tladi.
Meet Sabrina Walter, the woman who took a stand amid South Africa's crime-ridden landscape, even as her organisation faces financial difficulties.
Sabrina Walter did not imagine that she will be at the forefront of an organisation advocating for women's rights when she landed in South African to work as an AU pair in 2010. Walter, who comes from Germany, was still in her early twenties at that time; and a new life in the country seemed like an exciting opportunity.
Speaking to Wits Vuvuzela, Walter explained the excitement waned down the next year, when Walter found a dead woman laying naked in the apartment that Walter was renting in. According to her, the perpetrator was not arrested and he was able to move out of their neighbourhood a couple of weeks later.
This altered Walter's entire perspective around women's safety, as no one took accountability. The road ahead seemed to be nothing short of the worst, as she got exposed to more cases of GBV and femicide. Two of these many cases include the 2010 Ani Dewani case, in which a woman from Sweden was murdered on her honeymoon in South Africa; and the Tokai Forest Murder case; where 16-year-old girl was murdered.
It was then that she started the organisation in 2016 to lend a helping hand in reducing high levels of violence against women. The publicised 2016 Tokai Forest Murder case, involving 16-yeay-old Franziska, received extensive media coverage and later resulted in the perpetrators being caught. During that period, Walter, a member of the then Catch Me If You Can organisation helped organise a 5km walk through Tokai Forest in honour of Franziska, which four thousand people participated in.
"I did not understand why there was no event about Gender Based Violence. There were all the other events about breast cancer but nothing about Gender Based Violence. I was like how?"
Beyond raising awareness, the organisation shares crucial GBV glossary terms that educate people about GBV terms they might come across an a regular basis. The organisation further provides information on GBV toolkits such as rape kits, rape support contact details and steps to take when you are raped.
After running this organisation for 9-years, on April 26, 2024, Walter announced that the organisation might be forced to shut down due to insufficient funds.
This is despite her organisation being busy. She said she is often piled up with work when it comes to the daily operations of Women for Change. Most of her days are spent victim supporting, as she gets over hundred messages daily that she must respond to.
Her monthly costs running the organisation range between R10 000-R15 000 and include website hosting costs and other app related costs like Canva and Grammarly that she uses daily. She also directs a lot of her money towards her legal fees as she needs to be protected. "I have people coming after me legally, trying to shut down Women for Change. Despite this, I have an amazing legal team, powerful attorneys," she added.
Her notable achievements are when a missing child is found, when a partner leaves an abusive spouse, and when a victim's family displays their appreciation.
Walter explained that after the announcement about her intention to close the organisation, she received donations, which for her, revealed her cause resonates deeply with many.
To date, Walter seems to not be shutting down Women for Change as she continues the work of advocating for the rights of women and children, as seen on her organisation's Instagram page.
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