The fact that 951 women and a 315 children were murdered in South Africa in the last three months, underscores and emphasises the importance of campaigns such as the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Overberg District Municipality collaborated with Theewaterskloof Municipality to host a Women\u2019s Day event, which led to a three-day roadshow from 19-21 November. These roadshows took place at libraries in Grabouw, Villiersdorp and Genadendal. Women from the safe house in Caledon shared their poignant stories of abuse with stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The roadshows served as a platform leading up to the official launch of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children in Caledon. Partners in this initiative included Cape Mental Health, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Department of Health and Wellness, the Department of Social Development (DSD), the Stellenbosch GBV Hub, Legal Aid South Africa, Grabouw, Villiersdorp, Genadendal and Caledon Police, the Children\u2019s Commissioner for the Western Cape, House of Hope, and the Overberg District Municipality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The theme for these sessions was \u201cSpeak Up, Silence the Violence, and Amplify Your Voice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, the Overberg District Municipality will be supporting several other initiatives in the district, such as the Family Day scheduled for 7 December in Grabouw, organised in partnership with the GBV ambassadors, DSD and the Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety. There will also be roadshows and outreaches to schools and homes for the elderly in Cape Agulhas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event scheduled for this Saturday from 10:00 \u2013 13:00 in the Siteview Hall, in Grabouw will provide an opportunity for the various departments to interact with local community members. It will highlight the collaborations formed between the three levels of government and various sector departments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This initiative follows the launch of the Gender-Based Violence Ambassador programme on 6 August. The GBV ambassadors are dedicated to helping the community access necessary services for reporting domestic violence cases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 13 GBV ambassadors \u2013 who are trained volunteers from the community \u2013 will provide information about victim support programmes and services available for the intervention and prevention of GBV to residents in Grabouw. They comprise of members of the Grabouw Community Policing Forum (CPF), community and safety parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Department of Social Development has worked with the Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Overberg District Municipality, Theewaterskloof Municipality, DSD\u2019s partner NGO Glen Elgin Community Organisation (GECO), the CPF and the SAPS to develop this programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The National Prosecuting Authority and another DSD NGO partner hosted workshops to train the volunteers on various topics such as GBV awareness and support services, child protection, substance abuse prevention and treatment and how to do referral forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DSD and GECO also provided trauma counselling for those who needed it and will continue providing support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
GBV ambassador, Christina Kaptein said: \u201cMany women, the elderly, and even men suffer due to violence and abuse. I\u2019ve made it my duty to support those who are vulnerable and those who cannot stand up for themselves. I want to stand up for them, be a voice for them, and help them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Provincial Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety Anroux Marais emphasised that it is crucial that any member of the community who becomes aware of an incident or pattern of gender-based violence, immediately informs the police. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is the only way of overcoming this scourge. If we all work together, we can beat crime in the Western Cape,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen government works with community members and partners such as GECO, SAPS, the CPF and the municipality, we can make a real difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
DSD MEC Jaco Londt thanked the GBV ambassadors for volunteering their time to an amazing cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both Marais and Londt as well as Overberg District Municipality (ODM) Executive Mayor Sakkie Franken will attend Saturday\u2019s event in Grabouw, which is aimed at demonstrating the dedication of all stakeholders to eradicating gender-based violence in our communities.<\/b>\n<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\nRaising awareness<\/b><\/h1>\n\n\n\n\n
Overstrand Municipality is also hosting a series of awareness programmes across the Overstrand aimed at encouraging stakeholders to take a stand against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and all forms of abuse by taking the first step towards action.<\/p>\n
The campaign began on 26 November at the Municipal Auditorium in Hermanus with speeches from Sergeant Catheline Manual from the Hermanus Police (the Overstrand Domestic Violence Co-ordinator), Vernice Gertse (a Social Worker at Hermanus Provincial Hospital) and Antoinette Bishop and Lulona Thuthuma from the Hermanus Night Shelter.<\/p>\n
The discussions focused on the process of seeking help from these institutions, specifically for victims of rape and vulnerable individuals, such as children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.<\/p>\n
Those attending were informed about the steps involved in applying for and obtaining a protection order and its legal significance. Victims were urged to use police intervention carefully and responsibly.<\/p>\n
The speakers also shared valuable information about the services provided by their respective organisations.<\/p>\n
A short video highlighted the support network available to victims of violence, showing that they are not alone on their path to recovery and justice. This network includes not only social workers, legal professionals and police, but also nurses, community members and others dedicated to helping victims rebuild their lives.<\/p>\n
Overstrand Executive Mayor Dr Annelie Rabie called on the community to speak out against violence, stressing that everyone has a responsibility to report abuse and ensure justice is served. She stated: \u201cIf you, or someone you know, is experiencing violence or abuse, there is help and support available in the Overstrand.\u201d<\/p>\n
For assistance victims are encouraged to visit their nearest police station.<\/p>\n
The Hermanus police can be contacted on 028 313 5300. Victim statements can be taken in the Victims Empowerment Room at the station. The medical staff at the Hermanus Provincial Hospital can be contacted on 028 312 1166 and will refer victims to the social workers, if requested. If shelter is needed the Hermanus Night Shelter can be contacted on 072 305 4348.<\/p><\/b>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The fact that 951 women and a 315 children were murdered in South Africa in the last three months, underscores and emphasises the importance of campaigns such as the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women\u00a0and\u00a0Children.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":44003,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"22625392-2980-4656-857b-cabeb5170f46","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"Bianca Du Plessis","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-44001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n