Rape, breast cancer and fire safety were among the issues discussed at the Sarepta community hall on Thursday.
About 50 women attended the meeting, which ward councillor Wouter de Vos organised to offer advice to women on several issues.
Nomthandazo Tshingo, from the Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust, said it was wise to report a rape within 72 hours to preserve evidence.
“You don’t wash, you don’t change your clothes, because evidence is there,” she said.
Rape victims should seek counselling even if the rape had happened several years earlier and they had no evidence because “the trauma can block everything and the trauma can change you”, she said.
Sheryl Esau, 59, of Strand, who works at the City’s department of arts and culture, spoke about her battle with breast cancer.
“This is my ninth year surviving breast cancer. After being diagnosed with stage-three cancer, breast cancer, which spread into my lymph nodes and it had to be removed as well. I had two ops in one week.
“First the lump was removed, and then it was very aggressive, so they needed to remove the breast as well. As I am standing here, I have got a prosthesis,” she said.
She encouraged women to go for check-ups and told the women that she was participating in the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa) Relay For Life campaigns that raise awareness about cancer.
Pamela Zotwa, from the Ottery fire station, advised the women to pull out plugs from electrical sockets not in use and turn off all switches as a precaution against fire.
