Baphumelele Children’s Home, in Site B, Khayelitsha, have raised their voices in the discussion about ending gender-based violence.
The organisation held two separate sessions specifically aimed at creating a platform for women and men to talk openly about gender-based violence in Harare Square on Saturday October 26.
These two events wanted men and women to talk among themselves about the problem, with the hope that they could find solutions.
Dr Rehabile Sonibare, project manager for social behaviour change at Baphumelele Children’s Home, said lack of economic empowerment both for men and women and substance abuse were among the factors identified as the main contributors to gender-based violence.
She said they have held similar informative events in the past which were all aimed at finding solutions and ways to address the issue.
The idea behind these events was to develop a strategic plan as an emergency response to the issues which had been identified.
Dr Sonibare said the idea was to document the plans and present them to the deputy minister of social development when she launches a boys’ assembly in Cape Town at the beginning of December.
However, she said, the organisation first needed to establish what stakeholders exist in Khayelitsha and understand health and safety issues relating to women.
Dr Sonibare said Khayelitsha was known as a notorious area where incidents of rape, gender-based violence and assault were high.
“We are hoping that the plans and strategies would yield the desired outcome.
“We will never tolerate gender-based violence. We want to see our communities treat women and children with dignity and the respect they deserve,” she said.
Besides their plans to address gender-based violence, she said the organisation also has five behavioural-change programmes that aim to empower youth, parents and men so they could make better life choices.
Representative of Thope foundation, Thembisa Ngamlana, praised the initiative, describing it a progressive step towards addressing femicide.
But she said the community has a big role to play in ending gender-based violence and should not just sit back and fold its arms.
She grabbed the opportunity to appeal to men to be responsible and play an active role in advocating for the end of gender-based violence.
Representative of TB and HIV care, Lulama Jacobs, urged the community not to abuse women and children.
She said young women needed to be guided so that they could make better and wise life choices.