In the drive to end the silence surrounding domestic violence, Unilever tea brand, Joko, is running the #EndDomesticSilence initiative in partnership with People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA).
Launched in 2019, #EndDomesticSilence aims to support victims of domestic violence in ending their silence with information, tools and the provision of more safe spaces.
A substantial part of the #EndDomesticSilence initiative involves training non-governmental organisations, corporate entities and public sectors across South Africa on numerous aspects of domestic violence. The partnership between Joko and POWA is facilitating this sector strengthening, enabling women suffering domestic violence in cities, townships and villages across the country to end their abuse.
Developed by POWA, and funded by Joko, the training empowers organisations to better respond to domestic violence, providing knowledge about its many forms and signs, its contributing factors and effects, legal and practical steps to leave domestic violence and various resources to address it among a range of other valuable information.
Tea Talks
The #EndDomesticSilence initiative also involves having Tea Talks, which are community dialogues where communities engage in open, honest conversations over a cup of Joko tea about domestic violence and ways to better address it.
Kate Mocheki, head of projects at POWA, said that a major objective of the sector strengthening training is to fortify the active voice and agency of local communities in ending the silence on domestic violence, alongside other critical role players in government and civil society.
“The sector strengthening training and Tea Talks aim to build the capacity of community-based organisations to better respond to domestic violence, while assisting them to offer women a safe space that is non-judgmental and supportive, where they can speak out and share their experiences while receiving the support they need to end their abuse,” Mocheki explained.
POWA, in partnership with Joko, has so far run training and Tea Talks with organisations across South Africa, including the Umtata Women’s Support Centre in Mthatha and On Eagles Wings Multi-Purpose Centre in Jeffreys Bay.
The Umtata Women’s Support Centre provides free counselling services to victims of gender-based violence (GBV), including men.
They also run GBV awareness campaigns through community dialogues and presentations at clinics and schools. As part of their interventions, the centre has a weekly radio slot on Unitra Community Radio, where they discuss a range of social issues including GBV, teenage pregnancy and women’s mental health.
The training received through the #EndDomesticSilence initiative will enable the centre to design effective, sustainable programmes to better respond to domestic violence in Mthatha and surrounding communities.
“I found the information on reasons why women stay in abusive relationships the most useful. It will help us improve our approach to assisting survivors,” said Koliwe Nongauza, head of the Umtata Women’s Support Centre.
A major aspect of the centre’s work is addressing Ukuthwala, a practice prevalent in the Eastern Cape, where girls and young women are kidnapped and forced into marriage.
In working to confront Ukuthwala, the Umtata Women’s Support Centre and POWA recently held a Tea Talk. Over a warm cuppa, community members got to the heart of issues fuelling the practice and spoke about solutions to tackle it and its wide-ranging, negative consequences.
The centre is continuing to hold Tea Talks in various rural communities around Mthatha.
Support centres
The Umtata Women’s Support Centre finds places of safety for women who have been subjected to Ukuthwala and works closely with the South African Police Service (SAPS) to address the practice.
Additionally, the centre highlights the importance of the SAPS taking GBV cases seriously and of treating survivors with professionalism and compassion. When the SAPS goes to the homes of perpetrators to hand over protection orders, the centre’s social workers accompany them to get into the minds of perpetrators and change their attitudes towards GBV.
Moving forward, POWA will work in partnership with Umtata Women’s Support Centre, providing them with advice and support to amplify their efforts in tackling domestic violence.
On Eagles Wings Multi-Purpose Centre in Jeffreys Bay is another organisation in the Eastern Cape that has benefited from the #EndDomesticSilence initiative. The centre offers counselling, education and life skills to victims of trauma, domestic violence and rape.
An interesting and empowering Tea Talk organised by On Eagles Wings Multi-Purpose Centre supported by POWA recently happened at the PCG Church in Jeffrey’s Bay.
Community members had the opportunity to talk about their experiences of domestic violence and the best ways to address it. The event also featured speakers from various organisations, including POWA and Kouga Municipality, speaking about the work they are doing to reduce this scourge within communities.
“The training we received was well presented and informative,” said Mercy Cwayi, head of the On Eagles Wings Multi-Purpose Centre.
Cwayi added that she’s empowered by the regular meetings she has had with POWA, as part of sector strengthening, where she is learning best practices and strategies on dealing with domestic violence to enhance her organisation’s programmes.
As part of sector strengthening, POWA and Joko provided the Umtata Women’s Support Centre and On Eagles Wings Multi-Purpose Centre with posters and pamphlets, featuring a wealth of information on addressing rape and domestic violence.
