With 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence from November 25 to December 10, Ignite Revolution, an NPO hosted a meeting with religious leaders to unite and spread awareness on GBV on the South Coast.
Local pastors and leadership from various organisations advocating for women and child protection gathered and brainstormed ideas at River Life Church in Port Shepstone last Friday
Jessica Naicker of Ignite Revolution said one of the starting points was to train religious leaders to handle GBV cases in their churches and communities, as they all agreed that they are not adequately equipped to deal with it.
Naicker said the leaders will receive training from Ignite Revolution before a task team is formed, to address the issues in the communities and at local schools.
“The vision is to unite everyone so that we can make an impact in the lives of others. This task team will not only operate during the 16 Days of Activism but will work throughout the year as GBV is not only a 16-day problem. We will be spreading awareness in churches, schools, mosques and temples, helping as many victims as possible,” added Naicker.
Fathima Moosa, chairperson of the Port Shepstone Saps Community Policing Forum, said another way to deal with the scourge of GBV would be to work with teachers in identifying children who may be victims or are affected by GBV.
“In some cases, the children are not victims but they are exposed to GBV and it affects their performance in school. If we provide these children with information and phone numbers of where they can get help, we will be dealing with the problem at grassroots level. In this way, we will find ways to intervene with the parents, to try to reconcile them and offer counselling to those affected.
The meeting was the first of many to be held until a task team is officially announced.
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