Are you a victim of domestic violence or sexual harassment? Don’t be silent, speak out

Lungelo Woman’s Organisation (LWO) initiated a two-day seminar with the purpose of getting men to understand and raise their concerns about domestic violence and to raise their voices to oppose it.

They felt that most female no longer have that trust towards them as they are seen as violent and dangerous human beings within the communities and families.

The seminar was held at SADAC in Zone 9 where men showed up in droves to say they are tired of being painted with the men who commit these horrific crimes.

One quote from Thulani Simelane was “be careful to never dance with the lions because you don’t know when last they had their supper.”
The event was graced by ward counsellors and their committee’s along with the youth, fathers and uncles.

They were being taught on how our constitution and the sexual harassment book are not the same things hence some cases fail to be completed.

On the first day, all forms of domestic violence were addressed and it was more of an engaging discussion between the facilitator and the audience.

Thulani Simelane said, “The problem starts when the other has power over another physical and psychological.”

He further gave another definition of a situation when a family abuses the other physically and psychologically. “Have we ever bothered to find out that why a nine-month-old baby can be raped?”

James Mthembu said because people lack morals as we are raised you need to know your place there is nothing like temptations we need to be aware and know our place.

“If you cannot differentiate between a 14-year-old girl and a grown person then that’s a serious case.

“There are forms of abuse physical which is a common one in a form of assault (slapping) and GHB (injuries sustained) sexual abuse is an age factor, rejection and hate.

“Domestic violence is not a pen and paper thing but a documentation that prolongs and one gets arrested irrespective of being provoked,” said Mthembu.

Sibusiso Thabethe was active during the seminar and kept on asking questions that raised a lot of concerns such as that if we fail our own woman now how will they be able to trust us with our own children?

“This leaves a lot of questions to the youth that they will view us differently in the near future than current. There is a fact to the issue,” said Simelane.

The workshop made male figures to broaden the topic more, which lead to some saying we men are abused as well but because most of the time its women hence our cases are not recognised.

The second-day Busisiwe Phalatsi conducted the seminar where she gave out more information about domestic violence and what is LWO.

LWO is an organisation that was formed by nurses who saw the need in helping victims that suffered abuse and had no one to counsel them that’s how LWO was formed.

As years went by they realised that the abuse isn’t getting any better instead the numbers are increasing, including children and men.

“We also work and help men who were abusers to reconcile with the community and also help victims through counselling. “Men in our society have lost their identity and only men can regain it by showing action,” said Phalatsi.

Questions were raised that men didn’t understand some said they are restricted to see or raise their children.

“Culture made people to just focus on one side from when a man impregnates a woman, the process of a bond has to start there from the onset till birth.

“The problem becomes when one has to adapt to knowing how their child is raised and respect begins there through learning with your child stages to stages,” said Phalatsi.

The seminar was an educative and an eye opening to the youth and men.

How they can approach, talk, respect and understand woman and know your lane as a man to children and be able to reprimand another man when he disrespects a woman.

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