The event was held at St Mungo’s United Church in Ext 4, Diepsloot, to celebrate women’s and children’s rights. The dialogue was aimed at encouraging a healthy society free from violence and was used as a platform to discuss how to eradicate oppression.
The programme kicked off with social workers sharing why they thought human rights were important and a discussion followed on what constitutes an infringement of one’s human rights.
Members of the police listened to community members talk about their experiences of reporting abuse to the police, and together, they discussed how best the men and women in blue could support the community in future.
Lindsay Henson, a lawyer of the non-profit organisation, Lawyers Against Abuse based in Diepsloot, talked about the different types of human rights and how Constitutional law protected the victim.
The organisation assists victims of abuse in their follow-up cases and also helps them complete protection order forms, free of charge.
Henson encouraged attendees to not only report cases of abuse but to attend weekly counselling sessions held by Lawyers Against Abuse affiliates.
Judith Mthombeni, senior social worker at NCVT said, “We are pleased with the outcome of the event – it shows that the Diepsloot community takes their basic human rights seriously. It is so wonderful to see how the community members are empowered with the right information.
“We wish each South African citizen a safe, informative and empowering Human Rights Day.”
Details: ncvtprojects@iafrica.com; 011 705 1960.
