Human Rights Office, Projects and Progress

Sisters Incorporated

Sisters Incorporated is a private welfare organization, founded in 1959. It was originally established as a refuge for single, pregnant women at a time when tremendous stigma was attached to being unmarried and pregnant.

Following the legalisation of abortion, the number of unmarried mothers in need of care decreased considerably, but at the same time the extent of domestic violence within S.A. became increasingly apparent.

Responding to the changing needs within society Sisters Incorporated amended their constitution and now offer care to a growing number of abused women and their children of all races and religions.

Volunteers visit Sisters Incorporated once a week to carry out a workshop with the residents, who are ever changing. These workshops are thought up by volunteers with assistance and ideas from staff when required.

Our aim is to educate the women on their human rights and empower them for their return to life outside of Sisters Inc. Similar topics are discussed as our other women’s shelter project, St. Anne’s. These include women’s rights and the abuse of women, housing, employment and the rights of children.

Volunteers are encouraged to spend time listening and talking to the women during the sessions to create a relationship with the women and get to know them. This results in the women beginning to trust the volunteers and becoming more open. This in turn means that workshops can be much more productive.

Volunteer Testimonies

"Personally, I enjoyed working with the ladies at Sisters Incorporated and found it very rewarding. Getting to know the ladies and having them share their difficult walks of life with me along with their strength and optimism, really made a great impression on me and inspired me. For me, finding ways to make them more aware of their strength and their qualities in order to help them - if only a little – to feel more self confident and get their life back on track, was both one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences I had."
Joke van der Kwast, Netherlands, 2 months