Why focus on the harassment and abuse of farm workers?

REACH was founded by Joanie Fredericks and Claudia Lopes in 2005 to address the high incidences of abuse against women on farms and the lack of support services for those whose lives were afflicted by these social ills. It was through a personal experience of sexual harassment that the passion for addressing these issues first began.

South Africa has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the world. Women are murdered, raped, physically assaulted, threatened, harassed and abused every single day. The ever-increasing escalation of brutal aggression and violence against women and girls, paints a gruesome picture for the future well-being of our society. Acts of legislation are supposed to add to the protection of women in their workplaces and in the home but women’s rights abuses continue unabated. Combating harassment and violence against women in our country needs and should be a priority especially those living in rural and isolated communities who already face many educational, financial and social problems and have little knowledge of, or access to, effective legal and supportive services.

Rural farm worker communities in the Western Cape are a vulnerable group: low wages, job insecurity, cramped and poor housing conditions, isolation, illiteracy, and limited access to police, health and legal services play a role toward creating an environment that is susceptible to sexual harassment, sexual abuses, domestic violence, including drug and alcohol abuse and HIV/AIDS.

Women farm workers are often seen as unimportant members of the community. Although they are the caretakers of these communities, they remain neglected and victimized in all spheres of life...from employment where they are often not afforded the opportunity for permanent working contracts and thereby have to rely on their husbands and partners working and household entitlements, to the home where their reliance and low self-esteem leads to a belief that they just have to take it and probably deserve no less than to be sexually harassed, raped and beaten. What makes it even sadder is that it is just accepted as a norm, and those who know that aunty Sarah, for example, who lives just two or three houses down the lane gets beaten every Saturday night by her drunk husband, turn a blind eye because they do not want to get involved. Should we, although outsiders, do the same…sit by and just let it be? If we do, what will this mean for the girl-child of the future? Unless we fight, together with the community against the status quo, we are just allowing more statistics.