”What would men be without women? Scarce, sir, mighty scarce.” Mark Twain
1. Celebrating women
2. Celebrating change
3. Celebrating hope
4. Five
ways to celebrate your worth
1)
Celebrating women
Here in Cape Town we had intervals
of pleasant days with mild temperatures and clear blue skies. It is evident
that spring is not too far away. Already tender green leaves on trees and
shrubs bear promise of the coming abundance.
On the 9th
of August we celebrate Women’s day here in South Africa. Originally the day
was meant to honour the 20 000 women who marched to the Union
Building in Pretoria in August 1956 against the pass-laws
of the old apartheid regime. However, over the past few years it has turned
into a day to celebrate the strength, beauty and worth of all women in our
country.
How
appropriate that this day is celebrated at the end of winter when a new season
is about to start: For while we are honouring our women, South Africa is reputed to be among
the countries with the highest statistics of violence against women in
relationships. This means that although our new political era brought more
freedom and rights for women, there are far too many who suffer at the hands of
those who are supposed to love and respect them.
2)
Celebrating change
Never before
was the need for change as great as right now. There is so much that can be
done by each of us to promote an environment where partner violence can be
prevented from becoming the threat that it is today.
Please note
that I am not saying that a woman is ever responsible for the violence
perpetrated against her. The responsibility for any act of violence remains the
responsibility of the offender. However, to eradicate this evil from our
communities, we need a mindset where our worth as human beings is non
negotiable, a mindset where woman are clear about what they expect from their
relationships and refuse to settle for anything less; even before they
establish close relationships with others.
Change
starts with understanding that violence includes not only the physical aspects
of abuse, but also the invisible energy of verbal and emotional abuse. Because
our children learn by what they experience, we have to understand that our
family environments have the potential to create not only those who care about
themselves and others, but also the victims and victimizers of tomorrow.
Edrich and Brihan: a loving relationship
3)
Celebrating hope
Imagine
living in a community where children learn right from the start that each
person, male or female is unique and special, where people are allowed to be
who they were meant to be: free from the “should’s” and “have to’s” of those
around them.
Imagine a
world where people understand that they have a responsibility towards
themselves as well as those around them: a world where children are taught and
allowed to set boundaries for themselves and respect the boundaries of others.
Imagine
celebrating women’s day 10 years from now, knowing that women (and children) in
our country are protected by a moral law which compels those who love them, to
treat them with the respect they deserve.
4) Five
ways to celebrate your worth (With quotes from some famous women)
- Get
clear boundaries on what you will allow from others:
"As you become
more clear about who you really are, you’ll be better able to decide what
is best for you – the first time around." Oprah Winfrey, American
TV personality
- You
are a unique human being. Anyone who makes you feel less than special does
not deserve you:
Trust your intuition when those little red flags come up
in a new relationship. Jealousy, criticism, neediness, tantrums, and sulking
are manipulative and will get worse as the relationship deepens."Don’t
compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got.” Janice Joplin, American
Singer.
- Start
taking little steps to empower yourself.
“We must not, in trying
to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small
daily difference we can make which, over time, add up to big differences
that we often cannot foresee.” Marian Wright Edelman, Families in
Peril
- Change
becomes possible when you take charge of where you are in your life right
now. Talk to someone about your situation: a friend or a coach or
therapist could help you turn circumstances around. “How wonderful
that nobody need to wait a single moment before starting to improve the
world.” Anne
Frank, Writer.
- Don’t
just look away: Domestic violence is the responsibility of each community
member. If you are aware of a family member, friend, neighbour or
colleague who may be a victim, Be available in a respectful way so that
she can know she may ask for support when needed.
"Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all – the apathy of human beings". Hellen Keller
To learn more click here: http://www.stopvaw.org/Domestic_Violence_Explore_the_Issue.html?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={DF831AB9-9FB7-49FC-A657-7F25D30D4619}
The writer of this article is Lorraine
Le Roux, a life coach who works with women who invest in their wellness.
Wellness is about making responsible choices regarding your life, health, work,
weight and relationships. You may contact me by leaving your details on the
contact me page. Click “permalink” to return to the menu. Thank you for leaving
a comment.