The Callas Foundation is an organisation based in the Western Cape that deals with families and victims of Gender-Based Violence.
The organisation responds to various challenges in communities and advocates for women, children and men.
Though women are the targeted recipients of their services, Caroline Peters said they offer help and bring awareness to men who perpetrated acts of violence against women.
Peters, the Executive Director of Callas and a GBV activist, said her organisation realised the importance of working with the victims of GBV and the perpetrators as well.
One of their main aims is to build and maintain a solid family-orientated community. Therefore, the primary objective is not to break up families but to provide them with support and assistance.
Only in extreme circumstances, when safety and security cannot be assured for the women and children, do they advise separation and divorce.
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Working With the Perpetrators
Callas developed various programs and workshops to bring awareness of GBV to perpetrators and men in general.
Moreover, the workshops aim to provide men with services that will assist them with addressing underlying issues they may have.
If their needs are beyond their capabilities, they then provide men with the contact details of organisations that meet their specific requirements.
Peters said the approach of working with the offenders GBV had garnered some criticism from the public.
However, she believes teaching the boy child and working with men is a positive stride in turning the tide on the GBV pandemic plaguing many families in the country.
“Some people have been critical, saying, why are you working with the perpetrators? But it’s like bringing the gospel and preaching to the converted if we work with women continuously … That’s why our program is more intentional this year, to work with the boy child and the men. To bring about healing [within them].”
Do the Workshops and Programs Help?
Peters said many families are still coping with the adverse effects of apartheid, men in particular. As such, the workshops and programs are aimed at teaching them how to better address and heal from their past wounds.
“Our historical and generational trauma has caused a lot of damage and hurt to men. Lots of them are sitting with baggage … Especially the black men and men of colour.”
Peters said there had been a relative success in the behaviour and attitude of men who attended the workshops. It gave her hope to watch men go from perpetrators of GBV to functional husbands and fathers. Men who became a positive influence on their families and society.
