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At community meetings held in Mossel Bay on Monday 30 November ACDP MP, Cheryllyn Dudley spoke of the devastating impact of domestic violence on families and communities and again called for parliamentary hearings to review laws and other measures introduced to deal with gender-based violence, in order to assess their effectiveness and impact on communities.

Cheryllyn Dudley joined a team of people involved with helping abused women and children, to offer advice and help which would be specific to these communities. On the team were representatives from SAPS and SAPS Social Welfare, municipal Social Welfare and organisations involved in helping abused women, including women trapped in prostitution. The danger posed by trafficking and advice on avoiding falling prey was carefully presented to both adults and children present.

Areas visited by the team included Asia, D'Almeida, Sonskyn Vallei and Green Haven. The local initiative was co-ordinated by Mossel Bay ACDP Councillor Natasha Giles as part of Mossel Bays 16 days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children.

Cheryllyn Dudley said ‘large numbers of women in abusive relationships, choose over and over again not to report their abuser nor to follow through with criminal procedures. They stay in abusive relationships for many reasons, including economic dependence, lack of alternative accommodation, fear, pressure from family to make it work and of course love and the hope that the man will change'.

‘Although both men and women can be victims and perpetrators of domestic violence, it is primarily perpetrated by men against women. South African research shows the range of abuses women experience to be wide, including physical, sexual, emotional and economic abuse as well as stalking, forced isolation, intimidation, harassment, damage to property and other controlling behaviours. Cheryllyn appealed to women to find the courage to get help, to report and to follow through with criminal procedures to protect themselves and their families. She said ‘a national study of female homicide in South Africa found that a women is killed by her intimate partner every six hours, making this the highest reported rate of intimate femicide in the world'.

People from the community wanted to know what constituted abuse and a list of abuses was itemised. Help numbers were also given.

While safe houses and shelters exist, the need for additional facilities and for trained staff to work with abused women and children was highlighted and appeals were made for community churches, organisations and businesses to work together to provide a necessary safety net for women and children in crisis.

Speakers warned against untrained people opening their homes other than in crisis situations as their own family would be vulnerable and encouraged them to use the helpline numbers to access suitable help.

It was encouraging that older men were present and hope they will discuss the issues in village forums since it may take generations for the message to take root. It begins with the example seen by young boys in watching fathers and older men".