Lavender Hill women learn to fight back against crime
More than 130 women and children from Lavender Hill received free self-defence lessons over the weekend to protect themselves against attacks. Picture: Supplied More than 130 women and children from Lavender Hill received free self-defence lessons over the weekend to protect themselves against attacks. Picture: Supplied
More than 130 women and children from Lavender Hill received free self-defence lessons over the weekend to protect themselves against attacks.
This collaborative workshop between One Billion Rising SA, Fight Back SA and various local organisations is an effort to empower women and children in high risk and crime ridden areas with self-defence skills, where they teach them to defend, disarm and immobilise an attacker.
Fight Back SA founder Nicole Mirkin, said there was a growing need for every woman in South Africa to learn how to defend herself, not only to protect her body but for her survival.
“We have no alternative in the South Africa we live in today. Police, unfortunately, do not show up on time and are not on every street corner. We have a society that has entrenched rape culture, with no government resources to ensure women and children are kept safe,” Mirkin said.
More than 130 women and children from Lavender Hill received free self-defence lessons over the weekend to protect themselves against attacks. Picture: Supplied
“One woman is murdered in this country every hour and four of them are raped. Last year there were over 40000 sexual offences committed,” Mirkin added.
Lentegeur Community Policing Forum chairperson Byron de Villiers said while the number of murders had decreased in the area, sexual offences had significantly increased.
“I think there’s a growing perception that nothing happens to the perpetrators of sexual offences in terms of the justice system,” he said.
One Billion Rising SA co-ordinator Lucinda Evans said: “If they can’t protect us and keep us safe, then we need to start finding ways to protect our bodies.”