Educators and students on the same side against gender based violence

Kwathema – In celebration of Women’s Day educators and students at Ekurhuleni East College came together to say NO to gender based violence, on Tuesday.

Pretty Ndlangamandla, the campus’s social worker, says the aim of the event is to conscientise the students, males and females, about this scourge in the community.

“We want to empower them and make sure they are assertive and resilient.

If they ever find themselves in a situation where they are taken advantage of, we want them to have enough courage not to accept it and walk away.”

“It is important to highlight the plight of other women, even if these things have not happened to us,” adds Dolly Molefe, an educator.

Molefe believes that these injustices have continued to occur because women tolerated and accepted them through the years.

“This is not new, but we can decide now that we do not want to raise a violent nation.”

She encourages the students to be confident in saying NO and meaning it.

“We are tired of this.”

Jeff Skosana, the chairperson of the Student Christian Organisation at the campus, says that men need to show their support for women moving forward.

“We are here to stand with women, not against them.

We will get better results if we unite.”

In May, the SCO launched the ‘Stop Women Abuse’ campaign where they encouraged all students to pledge to act against violence.

Skosana says the response, in pledges, was overwhelming.