Abused South African women log on for online lifeline

With real world support lacking, South Africa's abused seek help online in a country where violence against women is endemic. — Photo by Volkan Olmez on Unsplash

JOHANNESBURG: Every day, Sabrina Walter answers 50 to 150 messages on her social media channels from South African women who have survived abuse but need help to get justice, get safe or get back on their feet. With little support in real life, they have turned to the virtual world.

Walter is the founder of non-profit Women For Change (WFC), which has grown from having a few hundred followers online when it was created in 2016 to reaching over 10 million people per month across its Facebook, X, TikTok and Instagram pages in 2023.