Everson Luhanga
Many women stay in abusive relationships because they have nowhere to go and are often financially dependent on their abusers.
In Diepsloot, the Green Door Women’s Shelter, a place for abused women, gives the victims hope and teaches them how to start and run their own businesses through workshops.
One of the organisers, Nono Maseko, a trauma counsellor with the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) said: “It is therefore important for women to be financially independent so that they don’t tolerate abuse because they cannot afford life without their abusive partners.”
She said in the past year, especially during the hard times of lockdown, women in Diepsloot have been helped with capital for starting small businesses.
“We have given some women capital to start baking and other businesses,” said Nono.
Brown Lekekela, founder of the Green Door Women’s Shelter who is among the organisers, said there has been an increasing number of abused women seeking shelter during lockdown.
Lekekela said alcohol was often involved with abuse and that during lockdown, there was a high level of physical and sexual abuse reported by young girls and women in relationships.
One victim said she was raped when she was 16-years-old by her own father who made her pregnant.
She said that since then her father had commited suicide and her mother rejected her and her son.
“Everyone in the family started blaming me for my father’s death. I am happy that there are projects to empower abused and rejected women like me to start our own business,” she said.
Other partners involved in the project included a gender-based violence forum, Family Africa, Green Door, Lawyers against Abuse, Somke, Health under OR Tambo clinic, the National Children Violence Trust, Jozi Ihlomile and Men’s Ambassadors.
