KNYSNA NEWS - Domestic abuse has been one of the main focuses of Women’s Month that ends tomorrow – and rightfully so.

In Knysna, more than 120 domestic violence incidents were reported to the Knysna SAPS by 25 August, despite the awareness and intervention campaigns mainly targeting gender-based violence.

Knysna SAPS victim support coordinator Constable Ntsiki Kema said although domestic violence cuts through all racial lines, social strata and all levels of society, women from poorer communities suffer most, for a variety of reasons. “Our areas of concern are Rheenendal, Smutsville, White Location, Flenters, Bongani, Khayalethu and Hornlee. 

These are the areas with the most reported incidents.” She said putting an end to domestic abuse will require effort and commitment from both the government and the community at large.

'Ongoing awareness needed'
Women all across the country are losing their lives – often at the hands of their partners – and Knysna has suffered the same fate having lost Felicity Oktober, Elsie Mowers, Shantel Zeelie and others in this way. Kema said more needs to be done in the form of ongoing awareness of the destructive effects of domestic violence through the SAPS and NPOs by promoting and teaching safe family life concepts and skills, and ways to improve family dynamics without resorting to violence.

Karin du Plesis, director and social worker at Families SA (Famsa) an NPO that specialises in relationship counselling, said they follow a nonprescriptive process with the women they assist. Instead of telling them what to do, they help them reflect on what they are going through. 

''We equip them with skills to respond differently when they are being abused,'' she said. ''We also create awareness talks in communities because so many women we meet don't realise they are in abusive relationships because they've been in that situation for too long and the abuse to them has become a norm."

When will it all end?
Questioned about whether the country can ever get to a point where women do not need to be equipped to deal with violence – and men are taught not to resort to violence – she said, "We strive to get to that point, which is why we have a Fatherhood programme: we use the man-care manual from Sonke Gender Justice and encourage men to be more involved partners and fathers." 

Du Plessis said the programme also includes women and explores gender roles and responsibilities. "We talk about their father's legacies, explore generational influences, what our fathers might have imparted to us that has now manifested in our lives, and we discuss in detail ways to react in a nonviolent manner.''

Vuyokazi Bucwa, organiser of a women's empowerment gala dinner scheduled for next month, said there need to be workshops that equip women with tools to deal with problem areas that might fuel conflict and ultimately lead to domestic abuse. She stressed that she is not taking anything away from organisations that purely exist to either counsel or help battered women, but says more needs to be done and hopes her empowerment dinner will eventually turn into workshops that explore topics that women deal with such as business, marriage, motherhood, single parenting, divorce and more. She has speakers who have gone through abuse and live to tell their tale. 

"We need to have women sharing their survival stories to show that it is possible in a safe space. We're wrapping up Women's Month, but unfortunately our struggles don't end – every day is a fight and every day we need to soldier on." 

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