BY NOXOLO DLAMINI

PIGG’S PEAK — The Lisango Movement has opened a new chapter in its fight against gender-based violence by introducing a Women’s Wing, giving women a platform to gather, speak openly about their grievances and become part of conversations aimed at building healthier families and communities.

The initiative was introduced by Lisango founder Muzi Nxumalo, who said the movement’s work cannot focus on men alone because a stable home requires both men and women to understand their responsibilities and support one another.

“For a home to function in a healthy way, both men and women need to be taught. We cannot only teach one side and expect the family to be stable,” Nxumalo said.

The Women’s Wing is expected to provide a space where women can discuss challenges affecting them, share experiences and receive guidance on relationships, family life and raising children.

WHY THE WOMEN’S WING?

According to Nxumalo, the creation of the women’s wing was influenced partly by feedback from women who have seen changes in their husbands since becoming involved with Lisango.

He said some women had been applauding the transformation they observed in their spouses after the men joined the movement.

The positive feedback, he said, demonstrated the need to bring women into the initiative so that both partners can be equipped with knowledge and values that can strengthen families.

Nxumalo believes that teaching only men would leave an important part of the family conversation out.

A HOME NEEDS BOTH SIDES

The founder said the ultimate goal is to create homes where children can grow up in stable environments, with parents who understand how their actions affect the family.

The Women’s Wing will therefore not operate as an isolated programme, but as another component of Lisango’s broader efforts to address problems affecting relationships and families.

Nxumalo said women also need an opportunity to reclaim teachings and values that traditionally helped prepare girls for adulthood, marriage and family responsibilities.

He specifically pointed to Liguma and other teachings as important components that he believes should be revived in the upbringing of the girl child.

“Women need this initiative because we need to bring back Liguma and the teachings that helped prepare the girl child to grow up knowing herself, knowing her responsibilities and understanding the kind of woman she is expected to become,” Nxumalo said.

The Lisango Movement is supported by an executive structure comprising approximately 15 pastors from different churches, members of the police and the movement’s founder.

The involvement of people from different backgrounds is intended to strengthen the movement’s approach to social challenges, bringing together faith-based guidance, law-enforcement perspectives and community engagement.

The women’s wing will add another dimension by ensuring that women’s voices form part of the movement’s discussions and activities.

FROM MEN’S CONVERSATIONS TO FAMILY CONVERSATIONS

Since its launch, Lisango has largely provided men with a space to talk about issues that affect them, including mental health, relationships and gender-based violence.

The introduction of the women’s wing signals a shift towards a broader family-centred approach.

Rather than treating men and women as separate parts of the GBV conversation, the movement wants both to understand how their behaviour can either contribute to conflict or help create safer homes.

For Nxumalo, preventing violence begins long before a relationship reaches a crisis point.

A CLEAR STANCE AGAINST KILLING

At the centre of Lisango’s mandate is a strong condemnation of the killing of spouses and gender-based violence in relationships.

Nxumalo said the movement wants to challenge behaviours that turn relationships into spaces of fear, violence and, ultimately, death.

The women’s wing is therefore expected to complement the movement’s existing efforts by ensuring that women are not only recipients of intervention, but active participants in finding solutions.

The introduction of the Women’s Wing comes at a time when conversations around GBV increasingly recognise that preventing violence requires more than responding after abuse has occurred.

Education, communication, emotional wellbeing, responsible parenting and healthy relationships all play a role in creating safer families.

For Lisango, the message is that a family cannot be rebuilt by teaching only one person.

By creating a platform where women can also speak, listen and learn, the movement hopes to strengthen the foundation on which families are built — while continuing to condemn violence against spouses and promote homes where children can grow up in stability.

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(Courtesy Pic)