THOHOYANDOU - The liberation of women in South Africa seems to be causing uncertainty in their husbands, said Ms Fiona Nicholson, programme director of the Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Programme. She was a speaker during the Women’s Day celebration held in Thohoyandou’s indoor sports centre last Tuesday.

The Women’s Day function started with a peaceful march of women, children and a few men from Mphephu Drive to the Thohoyandou Indoor Sports Centre.

Nicholson said the fight against carrying a big ID book is over, and now women must fight for their rights as enshrined in the constitution. “Our problem is that men are not respecting women’s rights, and about 40 women are raped in this area every month. Most of them do not know where to report such acts,” she said.

She further said women must also respect their husbands in order to live in harmony.

Nicholson said the Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Programme has been at the forefront of the struggle against all forms of abuse since its inception in 1998. In the course of its work as a support and empowerment organization, it has encountered a lot of difficulties but managed to overcome them, always evolving and making good use of the lessons gathered from its few years of experience.

With a mission to generate an attitude of zero tolerance towards rape and domestic violence in the Thulamela municipality, the TVEP is conducting campaigns in villages and reaching out to schools, crèches and chiefs’ kraals to inform people. Nicholson was happy as Thohoyandou Maintenance Office, Far North Women Network and other Governmental Departments supported the move.

Artists like Colbert Mukwevho, Shaflus Ragimana, Mbokota Holy Pure Boys and others entertained the people. The people also received information on the use condoms, using the Child Support Grant wisely and coping with the HIV pandemic if already infected.