eTHEKWINI Municipality’s South Durban Basin, Area Based Management (SDB ABM) department recently hosted a three-day women’s training session at the Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa (WESSA).
The training entitled ‘Zazi Women’ was run by the KZN Network Against Violence on Women. Zazi meaning ‘know yourself”, was the theme used to empower the women with skills to assist them to further empower other women in the SDB. The 50 women who were selected to participate in the training were nominated by their peers. They attended a ward-based women’s dialogue held prior to the training.
They were trained on the challenges of being a woman; gender violence; women’s sexual health; HIV/Aids; pregnancy planning and other vital issues that affect women and their families.
“It empowered me as a person so that I can go out into the community and empower other women on issues like women being suppressed, not knowing their rights, not knowing how to exercise their rights and advise women who stay in relationships no matter what the relationship is because they are dependent on their partners,” said Asia Phiri, a trainee.
Sharon Rajman, another participant, said: “The dialogue was exceptional. It was informative and we feel equipped to go out into the community and make others aware about violence against women, women’s rights and how to respond to these issues when we are being abused.”
Cookie Edwards, executive director of the KZN Network, said her organisation was happy to partner with the SDB ABM to bring this training to the South Basin communities. “We are aware of the atrocities that our women face, so we are grateful to have had the opportunity to positively impact on their lives.”
Eurakha Singh, SDB ABM manager, expressed her gratitude to KZN Network for their commitment to women of the South Basin and urged the women who have been armed with information and knowledge to go out into their communities and empower others and to help make their lives better.
By the end of the three days, the women donned the Zazi theme colours of green (symbolising growth and rebirth), and embraced the Zazi definition of ‘know yourself’. It is up to them now to go out and train other women in their communities to become future Zazi women of the SDB.
