ASILE Civil Society Group
Whole World Women Association – South Africa
Description of organisation
Whole World Women Association (WWWA) is a multi-cultural non-profit organization, registered with the South African Department of Social Development with registration number 053-030 NPO. WWWA provides comprehensive services to refugee women asylum seekers, and or migrants; the organization is based in Cape Town South.
The organization was started by African refugee women as a self-help and support group, working together with different groups of local women, and local organizations, including government departments, international organization as well as other institutions with the aim of protecting, supporting and empowering women in our community, to improve their self -image, self-esteem as well as life style.
Membership is open to women of all racial as well as religious backgrounds, most of our women are socially marginalized refugee women including Asylum seekers, young women and adolescent girls, our target groups include Young women between the ages of 15 to 25, women from the ages of 25 to 65 and above. Between March 2018 and march 2019 the organization provided services to 579 women of all ages, through face to face interaction, community outreach activities and other specialized services
The organization pays attention to girls of adolescent ages of 13, -14, as they are often excluded from the circles of women and adults, and it becomes even more difficult for them to share and learn from adults, they are most often vulnerable and mostly excluded and made to feel shame even by other adult women when they have encountered gender based violence and abuse of any form (SGBV), women living with HIV/AIDS, as well as women, who have been trafficked.
By Responding to the needs and rights of especially excluded and underserved groups We pay special attention to gender based violence, domestic violence or violence experience during conflict or ant form of or especially neglected forms of violence or issues that render women and girls at higher risk, such as sexual violence against girls and young women, abuse during pregnancy or economic violence. In response to these challenges WWWA provides comprehensive range of services that is accessible and safe to refugee women, youth and adolescent girls – from empowerment to socio-economic integration and awareness raising.
Staff Profile
Ms. Mary M. Yuin Tal
Founder of Whole World Women Association
Mary M. Yuin Tal is Cameroonian refugee in South Africa and the founder of Whole World Women Association (WWWA)that represents voices and concerns of refugee women living in South Africa. She is responsible for the overall management of the organisation, including fund raising, supervision of WWWA staff, reporting to the board of WWWA, as well as to funding institutions. Mary Tal represents the organisation in public and on behalf of the organisation she has received such landmark awards as ‘Voices of Courage Award’ in 2014 established by the Women’s Refugee Commission (New York) ‘Outstanding service organisation of the year’ Award in 2017 from Southern-Sub District Western Cape Government.
Previously Mary M. Yuin Tal initially was trained and worked as a lawyer in private law firms in West Cameroon. Gradually she moved from the private law to the human rights law, by joining as a legal adviser a Human Rights Defence Group Bamenda West Cameroon. Prior to establishing WWWA in South Africa, she worked and got involved with refugee and human rights organisations such as a Chairperson of the Refugee Women’s Project at Cape Town Refugee Centre (2000 -2002), a coordinator of Refugee Rights project at Human Rights Media Centre Cape Town (2002 – July 2004) and finally, as a Legal Adviser to the Ilitha labanthu Cape Town (2005-2007), where she advocated on the women’s access to justice in South Africa.
