Gender-based violence
Naledi Phalatsi Province
Name: Naledi Phalatsi
Province: North West
District: Bojanala
Local Municipality: Rustenburg
Village:kroondal ikemeleng
Date:21 August 2024
Gender-based violence
In the community of Kroondal, most women and young girls are facing Gender based violence which refers to any form of violence or abuse that is perpetrated against a person because of their gender. Women don’t have the voice to speak about being physically abused by their partners, is that the right thing for them to protect abusive partners?
As I was investigating and asking community members about how they feel about Gender-based violence, a young girl aged 16 said: “We are under pressure, parents don’t look after us anymore, so we go out to meet older men who want us to be submissive to them because they are buying us clothes and give us money. Some girls take hookups (sexual traders) for money but they end up not paid or end up killed by bad guys.” Most of the time these men offer to buy young girls snacks and alcohol at the local taverns, then later they force the girls to go home with them. The law is no longer the same where parents used to protect their kids until they grow to adulthood. We are growing up in houses where women are physically and emotionally abused but they never report these men because they support them financially and manipulate them saying, that if they get arrested no one will look after the kids. Where are the rights of women abused every day?
Some stranger in the streets of Kroondal says “Sometimes not being independent as a woman can lead you into a toxic relationship. Many of us in the community are from other countries so we cannot find jobs because we do not have work permits and it’s also not easy to get a job if you do not have a South African identity document. Some men offer to take us in as long as we cook, clean and wash their clothes, but that is not easy because we are controlled by these men, we are not even allowed to talk to people or make friends around the area.” It hurts because sometimes women get physically abused and they can’t even report to the police because they came to the country illegally with no passport, trying to get assistance from community members you do not get help as they keep on saying they don’t like minding other people’s affairs.
Most men think supporting a woman financially or getting married, they have a right to do anything for them. According to women’s rights, men are supposed to love and protect women and not kill or harm them in any way.
Community members must do something about men who are abusive to women and children. They can maybe offer therapy sessions where they will be able to talk about their feelings and trauma because some of these men grew up in abusive families, and now they are promoting it for no reason. Women must learn to talk and not fear anything because their safety comes first.
Every man who is going to harm a woman or child must be arrested. Police stations must start building safe houses for females who are abused and also make sure that they teach them self-defense, maybe create programs where they can teach young girls from school not to get involved with older men.
