Ishmael Parkies
Johannesburg - Young girls from Young Urban Women spoke their minds presenting their knowledge on issues affecting them in their societies.
Nomthandazo Simelane, 16, from a group called Young Urban Women, says they had a presentation were they showed difficulties that woman in Alexandra go through daily considering they do not have proper sanitation facilities.
She added that these kinds of issues affect women because they can not go out at night to use bucket toilet due to threat of rape and sexual assault. “We had a presentation about sanitation crises in Alexandra that put the lives of women in danger, because they get mugged and raped while going the toilets at night, these bucket toilets system also poses healthy threats to the women who uses them because THEY are dirty and are not changed regularly,” Simelane said.
For women’s month the group have dedicated its time to present all the information they have gathered in the ground from different communities where they operate under Afrika Tikkun a non-profitable organisation.
Afrika Tikkun comprises of groups that runs different campaign within township with the aim to empower women. This women’s month they hosted a presentation that dealt with different issues that affects women and children, especially the marginalised groups.
Nokuthula Mapasa, a 17-year-old member of Young Urban Women says they had conducted surveys and research under advocacy campaign, on the theme sexual reproductive health.
Where they wanted to check the reactions they will get from the clinics if they want to inquire about contraceptive pills and information. She says it was disappointing to experience ill-treatment by the clinic stuff ranging from security at the gate that did not approve them getting there to inquire about sexual related topics.
She added that nurses refused to give contraceptive bills to some of the girls that went to the clinic. “Some of us did not get the contraceptive PILLS even the response was not pleasant from the stuff and what more was surprising is that from the gate the security wouldn’t let us get in for contraceptive or rather sexual related inquires.
Jessica Ndluvo, 16, member of Young Urban Women affirmed to some of the issues that women faces around communities, says women especially girls are still not aware of their right and responsibilities.
She added that girls in the township women’s month have no significance as they have no knowledge of the struggles that women had endure in the past. Stated that she was ones part those girls that thought women’s day mean partying. “I was ones clueless of the significance of the women’s day, however today I am well aware of the struggle women had to endure, before we had these abundant opportunities in our disposal.
“Where we are not limited to what we can do as women but recognised as capable as men. We are not feminist we advocate for everyone men and women to join force in achieving oneGOAL wellbeing for everybody,” Ndlovu said.
The Star