Taking a stand against women and child abuse
"For too long we have been spectators and silent as mothers and as women watching the statistics grow"
IN the plight of increasingly alarming reports of women and child abuse currently circulating the media and plaguing local communities, a powerful group of women donned in all black took to march down the streets of Wentworth in protest against this crime on Thursday afternoon, 12 September.
The group, who referred to themselves as the ‘Courageous Women of Wentworth’, commenced their peaceful protest at Durban East Primary School which continued along Tifflin Road, up Goedehoop Road, down Richard Winn Road and ended back at the school. The protest was initiated by activist and educator at Durban East Primary, Irene Fynn who said that she felt compelled to do more than just sigh and complain about the violence and crimes against women and children, but to rather take the first step towards speaking up and awakening her violent stricken community.
“For too long we have been spectators and silent as mothers and as women watching the statistics grow. Now we say no more. We are standing up and taking a step forward against rape, femicide and the abuse of women and children. These steps are going to continue long after this initial stance we have taken today. We aren’t doing this only for ourselves but also for those who will come after us because they too deserve to live liberated and safe lives. I’m a mother, sister and an aunt and those tortured victims we hear of in the news also played those significant roles in their lives. I choose to stand up in the fight against the immorality that has robbed them of their lives because I still have a voice and I can still do something,” she said.
Standing in union with the women was the national quality manager of Activate Change Drivers, Darian Smith along with his two sons in support of the peaceful protest. “I think as men we have been very apathetic to the problems that women have to face in our country. We sit back and don’t actively get involved in a constructive approach through our efforts for our women and children. We can do so much more than just be caught up with defending the hashtag #MenAreTrash that we are not actually standing up and doing something about it. It’s also paramount for me to be here with my sons because they need to learn from an early age the importance of justice is important as well as supporting those who facing injustices I have to teach them while they are still young to know what is right and to do what is right,” he said.
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