The scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) is a countrywide problem that continues to be a concern in a time where women are continuously facing multifaceted challenges daily. In an effort to confronting these challenges the South Africa Breweries (SAB) remains committed to leveraging its partnerships with government departments such as the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and Social Development to assist with some of these societal challenges. Today, marks yet another key milestone with the opening of a new GBV support centre in Alexandra as part of the #noexcuse initiative by Carling Black Label .
This sanctuary offers much-needed support for victims of GBV. For the women, the centre will provide counselling through Lifeline, a non-profit organisation dedicated to connecting with people, giving them the tools, they need to better handle stress and improve their emotional health.
VP of Corporate Affairs at SAB, Zoleka Lisa says, “For SAB, this centre is an important step towards supporting, empowering, and protecting women, who are sadly among the most vulnerable in society. We will continue to prioritise the inclusion of women into the economy through partnering with government in ensuring that we confront the prevalence of GBV in our workplaces, communities and South Africa through various initiatives.”
The GBV support centre will make an impact further by ensuring that it tackles gender-based violence issues that are close to the community’s hearts. With support of Carling Black Labels long standing partner, non-profit organisation Father a Nation (FAN), the centre can provide mentorship for men seeking help to become the men our country (and our women) need. For years, FAN has sought to address GBV, crime and fatherlessness by restoring and equipping men to nation.
SAB wants to be part of the solution and assist in solving for societal challenges. As a result, SAB will roll out 10 such GBV centres in hotspot areas across the country by 2025.
To accelerate positive change in harmful consumption behaviours, SAB recently committed to use its scale, reach and expertise with the launch of its evidence-based platform SAB Sharp. As a global company, SAB is well placed to launch platforms to confront the irresponsible consumption of its products and measure itself against the tangible and aggressive targets it sets.
The new SAB Sharp platform will enable SAB to run interventions to accelerate the fight against irresponsible consumption of alcohol at scale and with pace by leveraging partnerships with government, communities, civil society retailers, tavern owners and media agencies. Many of these interventions will have a direct impact on GBV.
