ON 6 December, the UN Women-led "16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children" campaign entered its 11th day.
Daily Sun highlights the stories of two survivors from the Western Cape who took charge and changed their lives for the better through Partners in Sexual Health (PSH).
*Sandra Kotze (25) from Beaufort West in the Western Cape suffered years of physical harm by someone close to her. But it was not until she found strength to speak up and share her story with PSH, which allowed her to regain her power and heal.
Sandra said she realised that she was not alone and took comfort in that because she discovered a supportive community at PSH, and they cared and were willing to assist her.
She said she began connecting with support groups and before she knew it, she began to rebuild her life, finding new interests and hobbies that brought joy.
ALSO READ: Matric pupil Busi's screams of death!
After attending a session with them, she said she decided to take action and report the abuse to the authorities, seeking legal protection and justice.
*Maryke Louw (22) from Murraysburg, Western Cape, was physically abused for over three years.
She detailed how her partner would beat her up regularly in front of their two children and forcibly have sex with her without consent while also raping one of his children.
She tried to open cases against him but due to emotional and physical abuse, she found herself withdrawing them.
ALSO READ: 'Shack for punani': EFF jumps in!
This all changed when she was introduced to PHS where she was able to turn her life around.
"I attended the Victim Empowerment Programme where they spoke about different types of abuse and the services they offer.
Research indicates that more than five women or girls are killed every hour by a family member, and one in three women has been subjected to violence at least once in their lifetime.
Founder and CEO of PSH Patsy De Lora has called for an end to the violence against women and children, urging citizens to become activists in their communities and act to end all forms of violence against women and children.
"It's time for South Africa to unite and put a stop to GBV," De Lora said.
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the women and children.
