The Democratic Alliance Women’s Network (DAWN) hosted an informative Women’s Rights Awareness event in Wembezi on August 21.
In attendance was DAWN chairperson Shehana Kajee, who was accompanied by her DA colleagues, as well as Sergeant Mpanza from the Family Violence, Child Protection & Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit in Estcourt.
Dozens of women attended the event that was held at the C-Section Community Hall.
The day was set aside to educate women about their rights, especially when falling victim to gender-based violence (GBV).
When welcoming the audience, DA Member of Parliament Mr Alf Lees said it’s ‘up to us’ to bring about change in society.
Sergeant Mpanza encouraged the women present to break the silence when it comes to abuse, which includes physical, verbal, sexual, emotional and economical.
She explained the process that is followed when abuse is reported.
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Shehana Kajee explained that DAWN was started with the aim of enabling women to live independently, and skills such as sewing, baking, gardening and beadwork were taught.
“We then started getting a different request for help. Ladies were saying, ‘Our daughters, mothers and grandmothers are being raped. What can you do to help? This was new to us and we had to start learning. We started by visiting victims and families, and attending court hearings,” she explained.
She further spoke about the challenges with the judicial system, saying that some cases can drag on for three years.
The role that DAWN plays in the society was explained, and questions and comments from the audience were welcomed by the speakers.
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