AWARENESS EVENT ON GBV IN BONTEHEUWEL
Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies activist group held an awareness event on GBV
THE Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies, in an effort to fight gender-based violence (GBV) in their community held an awareness and empowerment event yesterday on rape, abuse and other social ills demeaning the value of women and children.
Soraya Salie from Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies said: “There are several stories going around that children, women and even men are not safe, so through this event we wanted to empower the community and to leave them with a positive message.
“The cries from our guest speakers and the community were that enough is enough and that 16 Days of Activism does not work for us, but should be throughout the year,” she said.
Pro Bono attorneys offered free legal service to the community and committed to collaborate with the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies in the new year, setting up monthly clinics to assist with legal matters.
Woodstock Trauma Social Workers also offered continuous free service with free HIV testing.
Ward 15 councillor Angus McKenzie said: “While I am strongly in favour of commemoration of such a period, it is important as a community that we are being active and activists against women and children abuse 365 days,” he said.
McKenzie said the 16 days was a recharging moment and time to reflect and to gain more knowledge and understanding of the major and critical role that is needed to be played by communities to overcome women and child abuse.
“The Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies in partnership with my office and the community has consistently been giving hope to the people of Bonteheuwel and in whatever small way our people are giving hope to one another and to each other,” McKenzie said.
He said the community saw a drastic reduction in crime and the numbers of abuse incidents against women and children was because people were standing up for what was rightfully theirs.
“Evidently this starts at home. “It doesn’t start in policing and neither does it end in courts.
“How we raise our children, manage our households and the role that women play within the society.
“The fact that 75% of homes in Bonteheuwel are fatherless households is something that must change immediately and far too often women have to play the father and mother role and yet need to deal with abuse as well as the abuse of their children. We will overcome this challenge, we have proven that we can do it,” he added.