On a mission to raise awareness on gender-based violence (GBV) during the period of 16 Days of Activism, the Anglican Church in KaBokweni hosted an event on Sunday December 3.
The aim was to reach and educate the KaBokweni community. On the day, the church invited various stakeholders and speakers who gave presentations on GBV and where to get help if anyone is facing any form of abuse.
According to Patricia Mathe of the church, they wanted to make the community and church members aware of what GBV is and to be able to identify it. She said the decision to start this initiative came after they reached out to the church’s head office and were informed that according to some research, KaBokweni is a GBV hotspot.
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“We wanted people to be aware that GBV is there and it is happening. This is because some people are victims and they don’t realise that they are because they do not understand what it is. They assume what they are facing is normal. We invited speakers who assist by explaining everything to them. People are abused differently; for some it is physical and for others it is emotional abuse.”
According to Mathe, they discussed various issues during the event. “The speakers had a lot to share, including that abuse is not only experienced by women and children. They shared that there are men who are victims of GBV, too.”
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After the event they signed a pledge. “The guests pledged that if they see anyone getting abused, they would report it. Whether we see or hear our neighbours experiencing GBV, we will report it.”
She said the church had hosted an initiative as a build-up to this main event. “We started by hosting a door-to-door event on Monday November 27. We went to the residents with some stakeholders and raised awareness about GBV,” said Mathe.
She said the church appreciates the support they had received in the planning of this event. “We would like to thank the GBV structure within the church, the clergy, stakeholders and sponsors,” she said.
