Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDSD) celebrates and acknowledges the contribution that women make in families and society as whole.
This was revealed at the women's month celebration event hosted by (GDSD) at Protea South Multi-purpose Hall, Soweto on Wednesday. The venue was bright and alive as women from Soweto wore colourful outfits.
Captain Zulu from South African Police Service in the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Investigations Unit (FCS) educated women about different forms of abuse. He said, "Firstly, I would like to applaud you for being there in the society, you have endured lot of suffering. Today we want to empower you to deal with abuse", said Zulu.
He further explained that women tend to endure abuse due to lack of knowledge. There are those who are abused in the name of culture. "For example, when your husband passes on, you are forced to marry one of the family members. Some are abused in the name of the bible; men say it is written in the bible that a woman must humble themselves. You should also tell men that the bible says a man must love his wife", Zulu said.
The importance of reporting the cases of abuse to the authorities was highlighted. The government is striving to ensure women live in communities free from violence and abuse.​