Thank you, Chair. I have to admit that when this campaign was first launched I was sceptical. I was concerned that the real issues would be lost in the hype! The 16-day focus on violence against women and children does, however, appear to have made a difference. It is welcomed by those involved with delivering social services in communities, who say it is really important, as it is highlighting the issues, and making it a little easier for women to come out and reveal their plight.
It is, however, an enormous concern that there is not enough help or facilities in South Africa for abused women and children, nor is there adequate provision for interventions with perpetrators. Domestic violence, which is a major problem in South Africa, is a specialised field, and it is extremely complex. While it may be helpful in some cases, it is often not enough for a woman to be encouraged just to get a protection order. To break the cycle of continued abuse, professional intervention for an abused woman and her children - and the perpetrator - is crucial.
With 80% of people in South Africa claiming to be Christian, another 2% Muslim, and more people claiming other faiths, the religious platform is where people look for guidance. Religious leaders are powerful agents in setting the moral tone in communities, whether in synagogues, mosques, churches, temples or African traditional meeting places. It is these leaders that shape belief and how it is played out in family life.
Few religious leaders are ever taught how to cope with the social problems encountered in their ministry. They are flooded with women and children in distress - from the devastating consequences of drug and alcohol abuse, to the abuse of wives justified on many grounds, including lobola. Many leaders have very little idea how to respond and simply do not cope. At worst, they send women back to be submissive in abusive relationships and, at best, acquire restriction orders or jail terms.
The SA Faith and Family Institute, Saffi, recommends an approach that incorporates into the training the recognition that both parties are human and can change. In other words, it humanises the perpetrator. Abused women often say they do not want divorce; they just want the violence to stop. Many times the perpetrator is both father and provider. Locking him up makes things worse!
In order to stop the cycle of abuse and bring about change, Saffi is doing unique work in training religious leaders with denominationally specific resources to build capacity. They train people in congregations to set up support groups and accountability programmes, and to establish policy guidelines. They provide 10-day training for religious leaders which unpacks all of the issues, giving them confidence to intervene in a helpful way.
The ACDP applauds the work being done by organisations like this ...