Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust empowers women against GBV

A NEW girls’ empowerment and self defence-programme, that is proven to reduce rape by up to 50 per cent, was recently launched in the Valley of 1000 Hills by the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust (HACT).

IMpower is an intensive training programme that was designed by No Means No Worldwide to teach girls and young women, between 10 and 20 years old, how to identify risk, say ‘no’ effectively and, if that doesn’t work, how to use physical self defence to escape danger.

Facilitated by HACT’s team of qualified trainers, the six-session programme that helps combat gender-based violence (GBV) has already been completed by more than 400 young girls and women, with another 200 new participants set to start soon.

ALSO READ: Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust’s youth rise to the challenge

HACT’s CEO, Candace Davidson said the response to the programme was incredibly positive as many more young girls are keen to take part in the coming months as word of the programme spreads.

Davidson noted the extremely high rates of sexual assault and violence against women and children were exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and this proactive intervention was essential in communities where issues of gender-based violence are rife.

“With its focus on empowering and uplifting those most vulnerable, HACT is very proud to be spearheading timely and much-needed initiatives such as this,” she said.

HACT is currently one of only a few organisations in South Africa that has facilitators who are trained and certified to deliver this highly effective programme that is being introduced in selected districts across the country.

This initiative is also designed to help boys and young men understand that all forms of violence, including rape and sexual harassment, are not acceptable. It also introduces practical strategies for how to recognise when girls or women are in trouble and how to intervene safely.

ALSO READ: Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust’s Home Gardens bring relief to hungry families

To protect against the spread of Covid-19, HACT has adopted a risk adjusted strategy to include symptom screening, PPE, strict physical distancing, sanitisation and cleaning of shared surfaces as well as delegated safety officers at all training sessions.

Visit HACT’s website, www.hillaids.org.za, to make a donation towards IMpower and the organisation’s many other community-based programmes and services.

Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting

Dear reader,

As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.

Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).

At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.