CHURCH STUDENTS TAKE A STAND AGAINST GENDER BASED VIOLENCE

The Anglican Student Federation(ASF) is a provincial structure for students of the Anglican church. The organisation comprises of the 9 South African provinces including the adjacent countries Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Namibia and Angola. The Anglican Students have decided to take a stand against Sexual and Gender based violence in the setting of the church and with the evolving times they have decided to make their voices heard. One of the high esteemed Offices include Gender Transformation Officer held by Toby. He hails from the Western Cape region and  earlier last month he visited the Free State region to hold a workshop on the gender and sexual based violence. 

He starts the conversation by asking a simple question to the audience "this is a table, and there are two columns and I would like you all to list the difference between men and women.". Everyone is perplexed, others start laughing but never the less they participate. In the end the only difference he brings to light is that the physical is the only thing we can say is different. He speaks about the difference and how we must continue to make our fire burn as bright as it is. 

When asked why he decided to do this he says that to him its more than just fighting for the rights but also to teach people especially christians to stand for themselves not just to follow as sheep to the slaughter. He continues to say that it is important to observe and absorb the word of God. The church is supposed to protect its congregants and explain not to make them feel trapped. one of the student went on to say that thanks to the workshop she understood that "patriarchy which is male headship is the root of the problem with this particular situation. Women and men cannot live in harmony with the understanding that is necessary to continue into the future without the necessary told needed to make that happen.

Our world has taught us to put men in a pedestal which in turn does not make woman immune but of course it gives them a different kind of hardship. this patriarchy of man being the leaders and pushing the agender even in the church is often justified by sayings such as scriptures and events that were not allowed to have a female perspective. He uses the examples in the bible of women who have triumphed and yet have never been given the recognition they deserved instead they received unsavoury names.

This workshop is more than just about the difference between men and women. There are many things about to the discussed when he tackles the issue of LGBTQI and what each letter stands for. In a setting like this that is what would be referred to in America as extremely "right winged". this is bound to bring in emotions that will clash and cultural misunderstanding but he continues to speak of what it means to be "Queer" and one realises that there is so much to learn than just voilence. The problem is that many people just lack knowledge and others just refuse to change their mindset. In his work teaching has become something he treasures the most.