Women’s Institute for Leadership Development in partnership with Victory Siyanqoba Trust conducted a laundry café in Cowdray Park. This was an initiative necessitated by the need to come up with new and innovative ways that vividly demonstrate the need to bring an immediate end to Gender-Based Violence.
The laundry café was done in Cowdray Park and 33 women were in attendance. The café commenced by shedding light on gender-based violence, what it entails and the different forms which it takes.
Women explained the different forms gender-based violence takes with more emphasis on physical and sexual violence perpetrated mostly in marriages and families. Some of the places where they face gender-based violence were explained and strategies they intend to employ to mitigate such abuses were highlighted. The dirty clothes they had come with were symbolic of the gender-based violence they want to eradicate. Hence the laundry café was fruitful in attaining its objectives and the engagement of women was overwhelming.
Speaking at the laundry café, one woman pointed out that the laundry café was a good initiative which enlightened women on different types of gender-based violence.
“The laundry café created a platform that enlightened women on the different forms of gender-based violence like emotional, sexual, physical and economic. The lessons attained from the laundry cafe will help us demonstrate the knowledge we have been equipped with in our homes, places of work and our communities.”
Mrs Ncube one of the participants alluded to that “Ignorance is the cause that forces people to normalise being abused as they will not be aware that they are being abused. This platform allowed women to engage and share their views and experiences on Gender-Based Violence and we were given contact details we can seek help from when abused.”
Source: Women’s Institute for Leadership Development
