‘Take matters in your hands’: Women empowerment through self defence

As Women’s Month has drawn to an end, the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) continues, with various organisations working together to empower women in a bid to end the scourge of GBV and femicide in South Africa.

Yesterday, NPO Women Empowerment Platform founded by Natalie Solomons and Nadia Marillier, alongside Providence Software Solutions and BAM Telecoms and other organisations, came together to empower and support women through self-defence training and gun education.

Ending the month on a beautiful note, the women came together to encourage and empower one another through conversations about GBV, being mindful and personal safety, coupled with live performances from mother and daughter Hayley C and Caprice.

According to the National Institutes of Health, South Africa is considered the “rape capital of the world”, with 10 818 rape cases reported in the first quarter of 2022.

And the rate at which women are killed by intimate partners in the country is five times higher than the global average.

Earlier last month, Police Minister Bheki Cele presented the crime stats for the first quarter of 2023-24, which revealed the sexual offences category, including rape, dropped by 2.8%.

“With 9 252 cases registered, down from 9 516 during the same period in 2022, sexual assault and contact sexual offences also decreased,” the crime stats revealed.

However, the event focused on educating women on the importance of self-defence, personal safety and firearm safety, and even allowed some women to demonstrate their strength through some self-defence karate techniques.

Senior instructor at Sandra Louw Karate, Marisa Rosa, said most women “victims” were not aware of their surroundings and had walked into situations which could have been avoided, without being prepared to protect themselves.

“How many of us walk out from a shopping centre to our cars without even checking our surroundings?” she asked.

“Most of us, if not all of us. And in those situations, it’s hard for us to react when we were not even prepared. GBV is no longer a Covid pandemic kind of situation.

“We’ve done marches, petitions, memorandums and advertisements asking men to change their behaviour and talk to their friends. Have we seen the numbers come down? I haven’t.

“So, there’s only one thing left now, and that’s taking matters into our own hands. You must learn to protect yourself, family, children, and teach them how to protect themselves.”

Organiser and founder of Girls on Fire, Lynette Oxley said apart from just physical self-defence, it was crucial for women to arm themselves, in case perpetrators were also armed.

Oxley took attendees through courses she offers and emphasised the importance of discipline when handling firearms.

READ: GBVF: Absent fathers hurt boys, president tells schoolboys

She also noted that while gun violence was a real issue, it was important to also note that many victims were failed by law enforcement.

Some died while waiting for assistance.

“And so, it’s important to understand that taking matters into your own hands is not about provocation but protecting yourself,” she added.

Expert life coach Tracy Pinder said while all of the above were important, many women lacked confidence in who they were, what they did and were often not mentally present in many moments of their lives.

She emphasised the importance of helping and empowering women mentally, especially those who have been, or who were still, victims of abuse, in order to deal with its psychological effects.

Senior social crime prevention coordinator Vathiswa Mahbi from the Gauteng department of community safety also explained the different forms of abuse – from physical to emotional and financial.

“We have dedicated our department to helping communities get the justice they deserve, not just women, not just for GBV, but for all issues,” she said.