Boksburg women urged to break the silence on GBV
A local GBV advocacy session has called on residents to stop facing gender-based violence alone and make use of the support available in their communities.
Women and community members in Boksburg have been urged to break the silence around gender-based violence (GBV) and seek help from social development services and local non-profit organisations when they need it.
The call came during a GBV Management Advocacy Session hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni’s Women Directorate in the Office of the Executive Mayor at Boksburg Community Hall on August 20.
The event focused on strengthening communities’ response to GBV, with speakers stressing that talking about the problem is no longer enough and that residents need to know where to turn for help.
Nonhlanhla Ngwenya said she was grateful that the President had declared GBV a national disaster, but stressed that communities now needed to move from discussion to action.
“Days of talking about GBV have come to an end; we need to act, and we need to have systems in our communities on how to deal with GBV. Working in silos is not making a difference,” she said.
For MMC of Transport and Roads, Cllr Lindiwe Mnguni, the issue is also deeply personal.
Delivering an emotional keynote address, Mnguni shared how her mother experienced physical abuse at the hands of her father and how the family eventually found the courage to stand up against it.
“My dad physically abused my mother; she always had bruises to a point where she always went to work in sunglasses,” she said.
Mnguni said the experience taught her the importance of courage and support, and urged women to know their worth, stand their ground and refuse to settle for less than they deserve.
She also called on men to play a greater role in preventing GBV by mentoring young boys to respect, protect and care for girls and women.
But Mnguni said the responsibility also lies with women to support one another rather than allowing gossip, judgement and hate to divide communities.
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“Today we are too hard on abusing other mothers and children. We are sacrificing our children’s lives all in the name of love; at the end of the day the child becomes a victim,” she said.
The event also highlighted that GBV does not only happen in homes.
Thembani Masina, chairperson of the Women’s Forum and a nurse, spoke about GBV in the workplace and encouraged women not to allow gender to limit their career ambitions.
“Women are all allowed to apply to any category of work as long as you qualify; don’t limit yourself due to gender,” said Masina.
She said women can experience physical and verbal abuse at work and encouraged victims to seek assistance, particularly where workplace cases are not dealt with appropriately.
The Men’s Forum, represented by its chairperson Robert Sambo, also formed part of the conversation, with men being reminded that they too can become victims of GBV and should not be afraid to seek help.
Sambo encouraged men to speak up and avoid allowing uncomfortable situations at home or at work to push them into harmful decisions.
“Don’t allow people to make you do things out of discomfort at home nor at work,” he said.
A representative from the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Leogang Moetji, also cautioned against relying only on falling GBV statistics as a measure of progress.
“We cannot always be happy about GBV statistics dropping in numbers; these types of things need intervention as some people’s cases disappear and sometimes others are scared to speak up,” said Moetji.
The Women Directorate operates within the Office of the Executive Mayor and focuses on GBV advocacy, legal empowerment workshops and community forums.
For residents, the message from the session was simple: GBV is a community issue, and no one should have to deal with it alone.
Those who need assistance were encouraged to approach the Department of Social Development and local NPOs for support.
The session reinforced the importance of communities working together so that victims know where to go, feel safe asking for help and do not have to suffer in silence.
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