IDEX Program Officers, Kat and Vini are on field visits in South Africa to research groups IDEX could support through our catalyst grants program.
Today we traveled one hour north of Cape Town towards Paarl, an area surrounded by mountains and vineyards, on the banks of the Berg River. We visited one of REACH's awareness workshops on sexual harassment with an objective of encouraging women to participate in sharing their life stories to create a book in time for Rural Women's Day on August 15, 2009.
REACH stands for Rural Education, Awareness and Community Health, an organization that addresses sexual harassment and sexual violence, and its interlinking factors on farms and in farming communities in the Western Cape. Joanie Fredericks and Claudia Lopes founded REACH. It is a response to the high prevalence of violence against women, alcohol and drug abuse, and HIV/AIDS in the Southern Western Cape’s rural communities which lack programs and support services to address and assist those whose lives are affected by these social responses.
Thanks to research conducted by REACH on sexual harassment in rural areas we’re able to know the following.
1. South Africa has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the world.
2. Women are murdered, raped, physically assaulted, threatened, harassed and abused every single day.
3. Rural farm worker communities in the Western Cape are a vulnerable group: low wages, job insecurity, cramped and poor housing conditions, isolation, illiteracy and limited access to police, health and legal services all play a role to create this vulnerable environment.
We arrived at a cute daycare center. Children came running to hug us hello. The center shares their space with REACH so they can conduct their workshop there today. This center is in the middle of a beautiful landscape, where you can see endless green and the air is fresh. The staff of REACH worked to quickly to set up the center with posters and banners. 35 women farm workers eventually arrived enthusiastically greeting everyone at REACH.
The workshop was conducted in Afrikaans. Claudia translated the workshop for us in English. Joanie is the facilitator of the workshop today. She enjoys being a trainer and you can enjoy her charismatic presentation without knowing what she's saying. The women clearly have great trust in her and REACH. The women started the workshop by sharing why they like coming to REACH's workshop. One woman said "every time I come to REACH's workshops I learn something new about women's rights and I always go back and share it with other people who are not able to come."
Since 2006, REACH has organized a campaign each year for Rural Women's Day. This provides a platform for rural women to use their voice to highlight issues that affect them. The community members always decide what key issue will be highlighted. Last year it was community violence after a six-year old was kidnapped, raped and strangled by a neighbor. Women were shocked and used the event to share their feelings and concerns about community violence. This year the main issues will be alcohol and drug abuse.
In spite of the language barrier, it was evident that a comfortable space had been created. Towards the end of the workshop several women spoke about their story of abuse by a husband, boyfriend or community member and not having anyone to turn to. When REACH appeared in their lives, it gave them awareness to know that their rights had been violated and they could say "no more."
This is how REACH has been so instrumental, by providing this much-needed support system. Now women who have faced sexual and domestic violence can contact REACH and know thy can access assistance, whether it is legal support, counseling or health. Many of the women at the workshop were first-time attendees. REACH's work has hardly begun and the need is great.
Today we traveled one hour north of Cape Town towards Paarl, an area surrounded by mountains and vineyards, on the banks of the Berg River. We visited one of REACH's awareness workshops on sexual harassment with an objective of encouraging women to participate in sharing their life stories to create a book in time for Rural Women's Day on August 15, 2009.REACH stands for Rural Education, Awareness and Community Health, an organization that addresses sexual harassment and sexual violence, and its interlinking factors on farms and in farming communities in the Western Cape. Joanie Fredericks and Claudia Lopes founded REACH. It is a response to the high prevalence of violence against women, alcohol and drug abuse, and HIV/AIDS in the Southern Western Cape’s rural communities which lack programs and support services to address and assist those whose lives are affected by these social responses.
Thanks to research conducted by REACH on sexual harassment in rural areas we’re able to know the following.
1. South Africa has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the world.
2. Women are murdered, raped, physically assaulted, threatened, harassed and abused every single day.
3. Rural farm worker communities in the Western Cape are a vulnerable group: low wages, job insecurity, cramped and poor housing conditions, isolation, illiteracy and limited access to police, health and legal services all play a role to create this vulnerable environment.
We arrived at a cute daycare center. Children came running to hug us hello. The center shares their space with REACH so they can conduct their workshop there today. This center is in the middle of a beautiful landscape, where you can see endless green and the air is fresh. The staff of REACH worked to quickly to set up the center with posters and banners. 35 women farm workers eventually arrived enthusiastically greeting everyone at REACH.
The workshop was conducted in Afrikaans. Claudia translated the workshop for us in English. Joanie is the facilitator of the workshop today. She enjoys being a trainer and you can enjoy her charismatic presentation without knowing what she's saying. The women clearly have great trust in her and REACH. The women started the workshop by sharing why they like coming to REACH's workshop. One woman said "every time I come to REACH's workshops I learn something new about women's rights and I always go back and share it with other people who are not able to come."
Since 2006, REACH has organized a campaign each year for Rural Women's Day. This provides a platform for rural women to use their voice to highlight issues that affect them. The community members always decide what key issue will be highlighted. Last year it was community violence after a six-year old was kidnapped, raped and strangled by a neighbor. Women were shocked and used the event to share their feelings and concerns about community violence. This year the main issues will be alcohol and drug abuse.
In spite of the language barrier, it was evident that a comfortable space had been created. Towards the end of the workshop several women spoke about their story of abuse by a husband, boyfriend or community member and not having anyone to turn to. When REACH appeared in their lives, it gave them awareness to know that their rights had been violated and they could say "no more."
This is how REACH has been so instrumental, by providing this much-needed support system. Now women who have faced sexual and domestic violence can contact REACH and know thy can access assistance, whether it is legal support, counseling or health. Many of the women at the workshop were first-time attendees. REACH's work has hardly begun and the need is great.
Labels: catalyst grants, REACH, South Africa
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