The Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies (BWL) are making their voices heard, calling for more protection of vulnerable citizens and not just during the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign, but all year round.
On Monday morning, around 30 members demonstrated at the corner of Bluegum Street and Jakes Gerwel Drive with placards.
This is expected to take place again this morning, and also ahead of the BWL Gender-Based Violence Awareness programme to be held tomorrow at 1 Bonteheuwel Avenue from 10am to 12.30pm.
The protest was also used as a platform to show solidarity with the people of Palestine, with BWL founding member Soraya Salie explaining: “We normally do it every year this time. We’re also saying to the government we actually need 365 days of activism.
“We’re saying that the punishment should fit the crime and it is as if there’s a blind eye and deaf ear turned to the cries of women and children.”
BWL was established in 2007 for the purpose of bringing women together and to create safe and empowering spaces for these women.
Salie says: “We say we walk, talk and empower. And our mothers and people in our community really need to be empowered because it seems all the doors where we need to go and knock on, are closed.
"Although it seems quite easy and beautiful in the Constitution, it’s not that easy to get through those doors. You need to know somebody.”
She adds: “The safe homes are very limited. Women don’t just want to leave their homes and their families.
“They still want to be there for their children, irrespective of the situation that they’re in. But if you know that you have the circle where you can offload and you have a circle of women who have these broad shoulders that you can cry on and not judge you, it makes you strong.”
BWL member Natalie Williams encouraged victims to speak up.
She says: “In the messed-up society we are living in, people are too scared or too ashamed to say what they are going through in life, especially women. In order to heal, you need to reveal.”
shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za