Workers focus on human rights

THE CHoiCe Trust brought together 90 farm workers from 30 farm sites for a human rights awareness event at Hlanganani in Letsitele on Friday.

Held under the theme Equal Rights for All, CHoiCe Trust facilitators engaged farm workers on how to address gender concerns as a key human rights issue.

Through a series of dialogues and discussions, farm workers explained that there were various forms of gender inequality on farms, which included stereotypical gender roles and power dynamics that worked to suppress female farm workers.

“Why do we not see more female tractor drivers or supervisors,” asked farm workers.

As a way forward it was agreed that CHoiCe would work with their change agents present to further raise gender awareness on farms and surrounding villages.

Change agents are farm workers who have been identified by their peers to become peer educators on their farm sites and have been trained by CHoiCe Trust to ensure that they are able to carry out basic health promotions.

These change agents are key in bringing about behavioural changes on farms to promote healthy lifestyles and reduce vulnerability, particularly towards HIV/aids.

The director of CHoiCe Trust, Nicola Stuart-Thompson, said the day included some very positive educational opportunities for the farm workers and CHoiCe Trust.

“We appreciate what we hear from the farm workers about gender issues because it informs our approach that we will agree to together,” said Stuart-Thompson.

Addressing participants, Rebecca Maluleke, the CHoiCe Trust project coordinator of the farms project, reminded the participants about the importance of their role in enhancing the capacity of all farm workers on health and wellness issues.

Maluleke also reminded everyone that the CHoiCe Trust HIV counselling and testing tent was there for people to get tested and to know their HIV status.

CHoiCe Trust and the farms were joined on the day by various stakeholders including representatives of the department of health, the Greater Tzaneen Municipality, Westfalia and the Catholic church.

Funding for the event was facilitated by the Foundation for Human Rights, which is funded by the department of justice and constitutional development and the European Union under the Sector Budget Support Programme: “Access to Justice and the Promotion of Constitutional Rights”.