According to a 2018 Crime Against Women in South Africa Report by Statistics SA, a woman is murdered every three hours thus One Billion Rising SA, Fight Back SA and various local organizations offered 130 women and children from Lavender hill, free self -defence lessons to protect themselves against attacks on the 1st of February 2020.
This collaborative workshop aims to empower women and children in high risk and crime-ridden areas with self-defence skills, where they teach them to defend, disarm and immobilize an attacker. Founder of Fight Back SA, Nicole Mirkin said there was a growing need for every woman in South Africa to learn how to defend herself, not only to protect her body but for her survival.
“We have no alternative in South Africa we live in today. Police, unfortunately, do not show up on time and are not on every street corner. We have a society that has entrenched rape culture, with no government resources to ensure women and children are kept safe,” Mirkin said.
Lentegeur Community Policing Forum Chairperson, Byron de Villiers said while the number of murders had decreased in the area, sexual offences had significantly increased,”. I think there’s a growing perception that nothing happens to the perpetrators of sexual offences in terms of the justice system,” he said.
