Ms Vanita Daniels
Ms Vanita Daniels
Rise Up Against Gender-based Violence (GBV)
CNA 9
Feminist, Womanist, Bosadi Theorisations
Partnerships and Gender Equality
Vanita Daniels, 44, is the director at Rise Up Against Gender-based Violence, which focuses on developing, implementing and piloting innovative strategies to prevent GBV. The work she and two others do changes people’s lives. The team works with the most vulnerable people, particularly women who live and work on the street, providing direct support in the form of dignity packs, protection such as pepper spray, blankets, clothes and food during winter and at Christmas time.
The organisation started an emergency evacuation service during the Covid-19 lockdown level five and continue to do this work. Women and children in immediate danger of being assaulted or killed have been rescued. Vanita says their greatest achievement is their programme, Tavern Dialogues. This two-year programme is run in Gauteng (Diepsloot, Soweto, Orange Farm and Evaton), KwaZulu-Natal (Umlazi and Inanda) and the Western Cape (Delft, Nyanga and Langa). They talk to people in taverns about preventing gender-based violence. The Canadian government has recognised the organisation’s work, awarding it a South African and a Southern African Development Community award.
Vanita, 44, who grew up in Blackheath, Cape Town, has a post-graduate diploma in social security administration and is completing a BCom in law. She says her most valuable lesson has been to learn to listen to many voices, even when she doesn’t agree with them, to understand where people are coming from.
“We need to learn from each other and help each other and have empathy for each other.”