25 November 2025: During this 16 Days of Activism for no violence against women and children, SOS Children’s Villages advocates for all women and children.
Violence against women and children remains the most widespread and pervasive human rights violation in South Africa. A 2025 UNICEF report indicates that 42% of children have experienced some form of maltreatment, including sexual, physical, and emotional abuse or neglect by a caregiver. Experiencing violence in early childhood, including witnessing it, is linked to a higher risk of becoming a victim or perpetrating violence later in life.
Cyril Ramaphosa, during the G20 summit, classified gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) as a national disaster, calling for urgent and coordinated action. He also called on leaders to promote tolerance and respect for diversity in race, gender, religion, culture, and language while mobilising communities to eradicate crime, corruption, and GBV.
As a child protection organisation, SOS Children’s Villages cares for children and young people who have experienced abuse. Our caregivers are professionally trained to support their journey to healing and recovery. We also work with psychologists for complex trauma which needs specialised interventions. We continue to advocate, promote and celebrate children’s rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for children.
“We have Child Safeguarding policies and systems in place to ensure that we are able to protect children. We ensure that our daily operations and our programmes for children and youth do no harm to children in our care. Child Protection is central to everything that we do,” says Kgomotso Loate: Child Safeguarding Officer.
Caring for over 700 children- and youth, SOS Children’s Villages offers loving, family-like care for children and young people who have lost or are at risk of losing parental care. Established in 1984, SOS has eight Children’s Villages and three Social Centres across eight provinces.
For more information on our work, and to support our Child Protection efforts, please go to https://www.sossouthafrica.org.za/
