By Advocate Tarisai Mchuchu-MacMillan

As we celebrate Women’s Day in August, we honor the brave women who marched on the Union Buildings in 1956 protesting in unity against a patriarchal pass-law system that exercised control of movement and sought to exclude women from the economy.

Their actions may have changed the course of history but in reality, women are still being excluded. Gender inequality contributes to the persistent plague of gender-based violence and in particular domestic and intimate-partner violence that women experience globally. GBV includes physical, verbal, sexual, emotional and psychological violence as well as economic and educational deprivation.

The UN 2030 Agenda envisages “a world of universal respect for human rights and human dignity, the rule of law, justice, equality and non-discrimination.” In line with this goal, the South African Government wants to create awareness around Women’s Socio-economic Rights and Empowerment during Women’s Month.

In reality, before this goal can be achieved, the  biggest stumbling block needs to be removed, namely violence. Women (or anyone)  trapped  in an abusive relationship are unable to grab or recognise financial or business opportunities. Their priority or basic instinct is the need to survive - not thrive.

The MOSAIC theory of change is based on research which found  that violence and abuse against women and girls affect their life-cycle, in a way that is mentally, physically and economically debilitating. It affects the way the survivor sees themselves, how they relate to others, and how they see their future. If we want women’s socio-economic rights and empowerment to be achieved, there needs to be a focus on violence prevention and not only responding after the fact.

What are the greatest cultural contributors in communities to violence?

Toxic cultural beliefs

Confronting toxic cultural beliefs can help those trapped in abusive relationships and will reduce the disturbingly high incidents of domestic violence. GBV is not a private matter, it is a public issue and a crime that should be reported to the police.

Failure to persevere is frowned upon

We need to remove beliefs from society that make it difficult for women to leave abusive relationships. Divorce, leaving, or moving back home should not be seen as failures or regarded with shame. Teachings such as umshado uyabekezelwa (one must persevere in marriage), mosadi o tshwara thipa ka bohaleng (a woman holds the sharp end of the knife) or ‘stand by your man,’unfairly require women to continue to persevere and be resilient in marriages, even when their lived reality in these marriages is abuse and potentially fatal violence.

Violence in the family is accepted as the norm.

We live in a patriarchal society structured around the concept where it is acceptable for men to use violence to assert their male authority in the family. There's still an emphasis on 'proper' masculinity, which is believed to include a man's ability to dominate and control a woman or female partner whether it be through physical violence or financial exclusion.”

What are the solutions to changing these intrinsic cultural norms?

Gender transformative workshops

Part of addressing these harmful cultural norms includes engaging with men and boys through gender transformative training and showing them  alternative, positive gender norms and masculinities that promote gender equality. It also includes engaging women and girls to understand their rights and that they are human and to have skills to be assertive- the goal is for all to have positive and equal partnerships  in relationships, homes and communities.

Working together as a society

The Violence Prevention Forum, coordinated by the Institute of Security Studies of which MOSAIC is a member, has redefined violence prevention as, “The whole of society working deliberately and sustainably to remove sources of harm and inequality, and heal woundedness, by intentionally growing an ethic of mutual care, respect and inclusion to build peace”.

Creating safe spaces

We can begin to heal this woundedness and deliberately eradicate the sources of harm and inequality in relationships, homes and communities by creating safe spaces where people can access gender transformation education which empowers people to know about gender equality enhancing skills of care, respect and inclusion.

NGOs have developed many resources that could effectively transform societal norms. These transformative resources cannot only be reserved for those that are unemployed, in townships or those who have time during the day to attend workshops. It is not only them who perpetrate violence against women. The “whole society” means that everyone must have access to this training.

In conclusion, by addressing gender equality the cycle of violence can be stopped, women will find the power to speak up and grab financial opportunities that may arise. We need to create spaces for healing and gender equality education in order for women to be safe in relationships, homes and communities. This must be a 365-days commitment!

About MOSAIC

MOSAIC is a community-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) that works to prevent and reduce abuse and domestic violence. This is achieved by providing holistic, integrated services when incidents occur, and supporting clients through the process of healing and rebuilding their lives after a traumatic event.

MOSAIC creates an enabling environment through our holistic and integrated five-pillar service model

• Access to justice – psychosocial and legal support provided by court support workers, and psychosocial support from MOSAIC's Sexual Violence Counsellors at Thuthuzela Care Centres
• Support and Healing – Counselling Services, Support Groups and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights;
• Engaging Men and Boys- Training and Workshops, Support Groups and Counseling for Men
• Empower- Education and Skills Training, Rights Training, Youth GBV Life Skills and Community Dialogues
• Advocacy and Policy- Advancing rights of women and girls by providing evidence from our services to change the system.

The organisation was established in 1993 in response to high levels of violence against women in South Africa, particularly in the form of domestic violence, and in recognition of the silence that many women suffer in unnecessarily, due to either a lack of knowledge of their rights, a lack of confidence to access justice for themselves, or both. MOSAIC's registered head office is in Cape Town, South Africa.

For further information about MOSAIC, please visit www.mosaic.org.za