The ‘walk a mile in her shoes’ campaign
A campaign aimed at creating awareness against Gender-Based Violence in Eldorado Park.
The Eldorado Park Local Drug Action Committee (LDAC), Eldorado Park SAPS, the Community Policing forum and community stakeholders finished off Women’s Month with a campaign against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
The meeting place was at the Eldorado Park SAPS and then attendees marched to the park in ‘Kersiedorp’ with banners and in song. ‘Walk a mile in her shoes’ was the theme of the day and men who attended the event were encouraged to wear heels and marched in them to create awareness against GBV.
Miz Cambell who is the newly crowned Miss Drag SA attended the event as the programme director and said that this campaign is the first of its kind and hopes that it will continue to be a success in communities.
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Ward Cllr Peter Rafferty who attended the event in a wig, a skirt and heels addressed the residents and said: “This is our community; we need to protect our women and men who go through the abuse. It is time to let your voice be heard, it doesn’t make you less of a man when you start speaking out.”
Ladies in Pink Foundation’s; Christopher Booysen, District Commander Major General Max Masha, LDAC chairperson Cheryl Pillay and CPF chairperson Dominique Palmer were also part of those who spoke at the event.
“I am survivor of GBV, I am not a victim and I want other women to understand that we are not victims of our circumstances, we can get past it. A week ago, when we were preparing the event, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said that they have a problem with us women because we get beaten up on Friday night and Saturday, we open the case but on Monday morning we withdraw the case. Has anyone asked us why do we withdraw the case? The reason why many withdraw the case is because that man who beats her up is the breadwinner, the one who sees that she has a shelter, so she cannot walk away. We need government and the private sector to empower our women, everyone is not as lucky as some of us are. We are abused and used to the limit,” said MMC of Community Development; Margaret Arnolds.
The MMC also said that she hopes that this awareness campaign will resonate with residents and not just be one of those campaigns where residents attend and then forget about tomorrow.
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