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Women are the bedrock of society and our resilience is our strength. Sometimes, however, women are brutally knocked off their feet. With your support, we can make a difference by protecting women and their children as well as helping them regain their footing. Society, too, will benefit from stable family units.
We have therefore chosen to come alongside Philisa Abafazi Bethu by contributing towards the completion costs of their Women’s Centre and Emergency Safe House that is set to open mid September.
We cannot lose sight of the fact that:-
1 in 3 women in South Africa will experience physical or sexual violence in her lifetime.
1 in 15 women in South Africa is murdered by her male partner.
2 in 5 men in South Africa hit their partners.
These harrowing statistics only scratch the surface of the emotional, physical and sexual abuse perpetrated by men against women in this country. Children are at best silent witnesses. Yet, there are a limited number of safe places and shelters for women and their children to turn to in their time of need. How can we continue to turn a blind eye to the suffering of so many women? How have we normalised and become desensitised to this devastating reality? Why are we not doing more for our sisters?
We can at least make a start. In honour of the women of South Africa, the Bayakhanya Foundation NPC – in collaboration with the law societies of various universities – has initiated a fundraiser to assist Philisa Abafazi Bethu, which was founded by Lucinda Evans in 2008. She envisioned protecting and empowering women and children who face abuse and has taken on this remarkable mission and given much of what she has to it.
The least we can do as women and men is support her in her drive to protect women and children. We urge you to donate now in recognition of all the women who have suffered and continue to suffer and in honour of all the women who have triumphed and will forever continue to triumph over adversity.
Every rand raised will go directly towards the completion of this Centre for those women, and their children, who are in need of refuge as they bravely seek help and safety from violence. We understand that Covid-19 has brought with it great hardship. But we also want to remind you that every rand counts. Whether that be R50 or R5000… Every single rand counts.
It is vital that all South Africans, specifically women, unite against this overwhelming scourge that threatens the lives of many of our women and children. Safety. Security. Empowerment. Please join us as we play our part.
Ask yourself this – if it was your mother, your sister, your daughter or your friend and there was nowhere else for them to turn – would you not want there to be refuge for them in their time of crisis?
Donations are still being received
For more information and to donate visit: https://www.givengain.com/cc/philisa-abafazi-womens-month-fundraiser/