ESG News South Africa

Gavin Rajah launches NPO to upskill vulnerable women

The White Light Movement is a new non-profit organisation aimed at providing empowerment to women who have been victims of gender-based violence and abuse. The initiative is the brainchild of South African fashion and homeware designer Gavin Rajah, and is inspired by his work with Unicef where he witnessed the devastation caused to families by gender-based violence and child abuse.
Gavin Rajah
Gavin Rajah

The new initiative seeks to help through equipping these women with the skills they need to make it on their own, and provide for their families and future generations. Rajah is personally training the women – who have had an active role in the production of his latest lifestyle collection for @home – equipping them with the skills they need to thrive on their own, and also helping them to build their CVs with valuable work experience.

“I have finally got my own non-profit company registered and can proudly announce that we will be offering support for women who are victims of gender-based violence," says Rajah.

"These women have been trained by me and assisted in creating the upcoming @home collection. With The White Light Movement, I am striving towards initiating social transformation by creating employment for these women who are sole breadwinners, who are victims of abuse and or have children who have been subjected to abuse.”

Helping these women to acquire employable skills does more than simply remove them from the situation, it enables them to carve their own paths with confidence and a newfound independence.

“Without social and economic transformation,’ continues Rajah. “We are not initiating long-term change in the lives of these vulnerable people. With the employment rate at an all-time low and violence against women and children steadily increasing, it is important to empower these women with the skills they need to uplift themselves so that future generations do not end up in the same situations.”

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