GBV | Recent Projects | Womens Rights

Hlonipheka Thriving for Dignity – Safe Spaces Project

Free Mental Health Support, When You Need It

2026 - 2027

UNFPA Eswatini

Women Unlimited Eswatini

UNFPA, One Stop Centres, Deputy Prime Minister's Office-Department of Social Welfare, Legal Aid Eswatini, National Emergency Services

To provide structured, accessible, survivor-centred day safe space services for GBV survivors, with a primary focus on psychosocial counselling, case management, safety planning and coordinated multi-sectoral referrals.

Survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), including women, children, adolescents, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and trafficked persons.

All country regions (Hhohho,Manzini,Lubombo,Shiselweni)

• Tier A: Immediate Supportive Response – Providing Psychological First Aid (PFA), supportive listening, immediate safety risk screening, and developing personalized safety plans for walk-in or referred clients.
• Tier B: Core Service Delivery – Offering confidential one-on-one and group psychosocial counselling, case management, and crisis counselling using trauma-informed and survivor-centred approaches.
• Tier C: Empowerment and Prevention Services – Facilitating psychoeducation sessions on coping strategies, rights awareness, and legal literacy, while working with UNFPA to ensure survivors can access economic empowerment programmes.
• Structured Referrals – Facilitating warm referrals to relevant medical, legal, protection, and social support services, including One Stop Centres and the national emergency line.
• Operational Support – Ensuring a discreet location, private counselling rooms, lockable storage for files, and accessibility features like ramps and accessible toilets.
• Demand Creation & Outreach – Conducting outreach activities, setting up information desks at partner events (e.g., UNESWA Wellness Day), and sharing information via social media to improve visibility and service uptake.
• Monitoring & Reporting – Submitting monthly and quarterly aggregated reports on service uptake and participating in periodic supervision visits by UNFPA.

As of August 2026, the project has delivered psychosocial support to a total of 146 beneficiaries.

• 8 cases were referred to the organization by other partners.

• 10 referrals were made from the organization to Legal Aid and the Department of Social Welfare.
• Cumulative Reach: A total of 146 beneficiaries have been reached.

The project provides a critical lifeline for GBV survivors in Eswatini, offering a safe and confidential entry point to a multi-sectoral support system. By addressing immediate emotional distress and providing structured pathways to medical, legal, and social services, the project is working to mitigate the long-term impact of violence and empower survivors to rebuild their lives.

The project’s mobile and outreach services have proven to be a key strategy for reaching clients who face logistical barriers to accessing in-person services. As noted in the August 2026 report, “Leveraging on partner events and ongoing engagements is more cost effective than organising standalone outreach events, it also opens us up to a significantly larger number of potential clients.” This adaptive approach ensures that even the most isolated survivors can access the support they need.