This year the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence committed against Women and Children takes place from Saturday (25 November) to 10 December under the theme “Unite! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls”.
According to the United Nations (UN), the campaign kicks off on 25 November on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and runs until 10 December on World Human Rights Day.
“The campaign was started by activists at the inauguration of the Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991,” it explained.
“It is used as an organising strategy by individuals and organisations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls (children).”
Paarl Post reached out to a few organisations within the Drakenstein municipal area to hear what they had to say about abuse against women and children, one of them the Andrew Murray Children’s Home, an orphanage in Wellington.
According to Christelle Oosthuizen, professional services manager there, the home will celebrate 16 days of activism by having an “awareness corner”, which will raise awareness of different forms of violence among the children in the home.
“During the group work [that will commence during the 16 days] the children will learn the necessary life skills to protect themselves from violence that may occur against them,” she said.
Oosthuizen said giving up was not an option: “When you fall the first answer from the devil is that you should give up, but Jesus gets up again. Do not give up when life gets hard for you. The circumstances will change. The sun will rise again every morning and just like that, life will become beautiful again. With time the difficult circumstances will change, and you will experience the beautiful every day.”
She urged every child or young adult to speak up should they be a victim of violence, whether it be physical, emotional or sexual.
“Go and talk to a person you trust, such as your teacher at school or a social worker. You have the right to feel safe.”
For years Athlone House of Strength (AHOS), a shelter for abused women and children in Paarl, had provided a stable, caring and safe environment to the women and children who reached out for help.
Caureen Pietersen, manager of AHOS, said the facility provided shelter for victims of domestic violence for a period of three months.
“For those three months the victim and her children or child are at the shelter they receive counselling from the social worker. Their medical conditions are sorted out. They are provided with food, clothes and toiletries. If school-going children are involved, a placement is sought at the nearest school for the children.”
Pietersen advises victims of domestic violence to speak to a social worker or reach out to a welfare organisation in their area for help.
She said the social worker must then apply on behalf of the victim for shelter at AHOS.
“Victims must be 18 years and older to be admitted there. The ages of the children are from baby to nine years old (girls and boys). Educational as well as therapeutic sessions are offered for the women as well as the children.
“Other sessions such as painting, sewing and gardening are also offered. The ladies are also sent for skills training, which includes the following – frail care, educare and cooking. The shelter does outreach in the community to make them aware of abuse.
“Our challenge is our homeless clients and requests. Considering the clients have been living with us for only three months, we find it worrying that many times there is no housing [that they can go back to], which means the client has to go back to the offender [abuser].”
Should anyone suspect any form of violence towards a child or woman they should encourage a conversation and report the abuse to the police or to the Stop Gender Based Violence’s helpline on 0800 150 150.
Alternatively children can also call Childline on 116.
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On 25 November a march to create more awareness on the 16 days campaign will take place in Paarl East. The march will kick off at 08:00 in the parking area at Spar Charleston Hill. Participants will then walk through Magnolia to Ivanhoe Park (Die Stoepe). Part of the march will be the Paarl East police, correctional services, local fire department and the local traffic department. All community members are encouraged to take part.
