Work needs to be done all-year round to change our violent society where men are still seen as the “baas”, says member of parliament Denise Robinson.
She was speaking at an open day at the Parow clinic last week ahead of the launch of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign.
Ms Robinson is the DA’s spokeswoman on women, youth, children and people with disabilities.
She believes 16 Days should be a “year-round campaign”.
Crime and gangsterism in Cape Town added to the violence against women and children.
“We live in a society where patriarchy is still alive and men are viewed as the ‘baas’ in the household. Ideally, there should be an attitude in society where respect among both genders is essential,” she said.
She encouraged men and women to use the clinic’s family planning services and practise safe sex.
“Rearing children is not easy, and it needs to be done with love and compassion.
“This year, alone we have seen many incidences where children are being abused and murdered which is horrific.”
Victims of abuse had a right to lay a charge and apply for a protection order, she said.
Christina Botha, from the Centre for Constitutional Rights at the FW de Klerk Foundation, said it was always important consider the best interests of a child, and the public needed to know about the Children’s Act, which governed all aspects of the law relating to children.
“Children have the right to be consulted when it pertains to issues about their well-being.”
Nomakhazi Shoko, clinic operation manager, said chronic health care, mental-health services, wound care, TB and HIV screening, ante-natal care and eye-screening are some of the things the clinic does.
The open day was aimed at women and children, and clinic staff did HIV and TB testing and pap smears, and they checked children’s growth milestones.
Ward 26 councillor Franschesca Walker praised the staff for their work ethic.
“I lived in De Tyger for five years and I was a patient at this clinic. I suffer from high blood pressure and cholesterol and the services I received here were very good. I also want to praise the work done by the dispensary staff,” she said.