Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo launched the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women in Gugulethu on Wednesday, reminding nearly 500 women and girls who attended the event at the Masikhanye Centre, NY1, that they are worthy of respect.
“I would like to encourage the public to be aware that violence against women and children is not a government or criminal justice system problem alone, but a societal problem,” said Mbombo.
“Count me in! I commit myself to be an active participant in the fight against this abuse.”
Women Of Worth is an initiative started in 2016. Those affected by gender-based violence could receive the help they need to start afresh, without abuse.
Mbombo said since the start of the project, more than 1 500 woman and girls have been empowered.
“These sessions are vital in the fight against gender-based violence,” she said.
“We want to focus especially on women who often fall victim to abuse; we want to empower them, and we are doing so by working together as government, civil society, and all relevant organisations to create an enabling environment for women to thrive.”
One victim shared her story of overcoming a childhood of rape at the hands of her two uncles, saying she relives her trauma every day.
Now 19, she says: “I was afraid, so I kept quiet.
“Speaking my pain helped me to deal with it, with their failure towards me, and now I can begin to heal.
“The four years of rape stopped nearly five years ago, but it scarred me. It will always be there, but I am no longer a victim.”