LINDA GUMEDE and MINENHLE NDWANDWE
Prince Mshiyeni Memorial hospital held its 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children closing campaign on Thursday with a special emphasis on men being the advocates.
Under the global theme: “Orange the world: End violence against women now”, the hospital staff carried placards which read : “I am champion of change”; “Rape destroys a woman”; and, “Red card against gender based violence”. They held a peaceful march within the hospital premises.
Dr. Sandile Tshabalala, Head of the KZN Department of Health, who was invited as the main speaker said the government still had a long way to go in order to achieve the objective against gender-based violence (GBV).
He said this was because of the disappointing number of men involved in such campaigns.
Tshabalala said the campaign sought to make people aware of their surroundings. He added that health workers had witnessed a number of cases of women who had been abused by their partners.
He said the health department has introduced the Thuthuzela health sector which was meant to help victims of rape and GBV survivors.
Tshabalala urged the health workers to be more sensitive when working with victims who survived rape and GBV.
“I think till this day, we still don’t understand the magnitude of the people who are being abused and the reasons behind it.
“Twenty three years later, we are still battling as to how to manage this scourge. There are so many more victims than victimisers in such campaigns which shows that these men are sitting somewhere,” said Tshabalala.
Tshabalala added that the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children should be observed every day.
Brothers for Life ambassador and activist Nhlanhla Vezi, who was disappointed by the low turnout of men at the event said: “ The same women who are abused and raped daily were the ones who attended. This, whilst the real perpetrators who need to change and do better, are sitting at home.”
“As Brothers for Life, promote change among men, we create a space that allows room for men to change their behaviour towards women as our slogan goes, ’No women will be killed in my name’.
“I am very disappointed because we always invite men to attend such events so they can learn more about how a woman is supposed to be treated, but men are always reluctant to come. They always drag their feet not knowing that there is more to gain from such campaigns,” said Vezi.
He urged men to stand up and change the narrative and stop abusing women.
Bishop Mambo Mkhize, public relations officer for social cohesion and moral regeneration in the eThekwini cluster, said getting more men to talk about issues that affect their families, changed their behaviour towards women.
“In the past years, because of culture, most men were taught that a woman and a child should be subservient to a man. However, holding these discussions enlighten most men that women and children have a voice and are bound to be heard.”
Mkhize said there were some men who also faced GBV, but feared speaking out because of the stereotypical behaviour of society.