GBV meeting hosted at church in Winnie Mandela
The event was aimed at educating people about GBV organisations that are available to the community.
The Department of Social Development and Women’s Directorate Gender Office hosted a gender-based violence (GBV) workshop at Pentecostal Church in Winnie Mandela Zone 2 on March 13.
The event was aimed at educating people about GBV organisations that are available to the community. It also tackled areas of safety and touched on subjects of keeping a healthy relationship between partners to avoid abusing each other.
Violet Sithole, from the Women’s Directorate Gender Office, said they will visit other sections as well, but they chose Winnie Mandela because it is one of the poor areas facing many social problems leading to women, children and elderly people being unsafe.
“The section faces problems of housing, so most people live in squatter camps.
“Living in a squatter camp is difficult. Young women sleep with older men for financial benefits.
“The guardian cannot question the girl’s decision because she is now the provider, and once they question there might be conflict.
“Mostly they are in this situation because they have no other choice. One day all her anger boils over and she tells her ‘blesser’ its enough. Then he gets upset and physical.
“Boys are very different, they learn based on what they observe. Everything around him shapes the man he will become.
“It is very sad. They become the perpetrators because their father did it, their uncle did it or their neighbour did it,” said Sithole.
Ellie Yende, a former convict and motivational speaker, said having a healthy relationship could avoid fights and break ups.
“In most cases, we do not have sessions where we would educate both genders, especially women, on how to identify a possible killer or abuser.
“Women have to learn how to identify such people before they engage with them,” he said.
He added that men should not suppress negative thoughts about their partners, but rather replace the negative mindset with trust.
Mpho Ramasobana, social worker at Department of Social Development, said they often deal with cases where the women and children are the victims.
