16 Days of Activism campaign launched in Boksburg
The Speaker of Ekurhuleni Clr Patricia Khumalo, the Minister for Women in the Presidency Susan Shabangu and several non-governmental organisations launched the 18th 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children.
The event, attended by hundreds of people, mostly women, was held at the Boksburg Civic Centre on Saturday, November 19.
Yearly the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children runs from November 25 to December 10.
Shabangu gave the keynote address at the event, and other speakers included POWA, Legal Aid Gender Desk and sex worker representatives.
The theme for this year’s campaign is “Count Me In, Together Moving a Non-Violent South Africa Forward”.
During the event in Boksburg, speakers called on all South Africans to stand together and protect vulnerable persons, women and children in particular, against violence and abuse.
Addressing the attendees, Shabangu said women should be protected against violence 365 days a year, because they are not only attacked during 16 Days of Activism but they are victims throughout the year.
In the fight against violence, Shabangu’s department has partnered with other government department and NGOs, including the Social Development Department, SAPS, the South African Women Lawyers Association (Sawla), businesses, churches and other organisations.
Shabangu stressed the importance of men participating in the activities aimed at ending violence against women and children. She added that for them to be successful in ending violence, they have to involve the “perpetrator” and bring both men and women into the discussion about gender-based violence.
“We also want to mobilise men, because that’s the only way we can be able to succeed in fighting violence,” said Shabangu.“The Department of Women plans to roll out dialogue sessions across the country. As a Department of Women, we have taken a conscious decision that we are going to shape it differently this year.
“We are going to start with national dialogues, but those dialogues will take the shape of going to communities to talk to communities,” she said.
The initiative will be launched in Lebowakgomo, Limpopo on the International Day of No Violence against Women and Children.
From there, the department and its partners will visit other communities in all the other provinces.
“The reason we will be starting in Limpopo is that there is lots of gender-based violence in there.
“We all know in the whole South Africa there is no other province where you find an area which is allocated and dedicated to the so-called abathakathi.
“It’s only in Limpopo where you have an area where you are identified as a witch and then you and your family are banished to a particular area – that is why we are starting there.
“But not only that you discover that the majority of people who are called abathakathi are women, so we continue to inflict violence against women.
“If we see an ugly, very dark old woman, we say she is a witch.
“That’s what violence is all about. It’s women who are mostly identified as witches and banished,” said Shabangu.
The minister mentioned that this is a whole-year programme that will see the different stakeholders visiting different communities across the country to hold dialogue sessions.
She also stated that skills development among women will be prioritised in the fight against the abuse of women and children, as women are victims of abuse because of the economic conditions they live in.
“We have partnered with 14 various skills SETAs which will skill women, making sure that as we deal with challenges and engage with communities they are able to take care of their lives.
“Many women in the rural areas stomach abuse because the husband must maintain the children.
“That’s the only way women can get their voice: it’s when they are skilled, self confident, also self maintaining, then they are able to say no.
“Unskilled women are now unable to say no because there is this person who is still there maintaining [the family]. When he boxes you he reminds you that it is his money. Others when they beat you even say, ‘I’m beating my money.’
“You stop being a human being and you become an object. That is why the 16 Days take a different form this year.
“If we are unable to protect our women and children, we are a society which is doomed. We want to fight to see cases of men who abuse the women, solved, and the perpetrators sent to jail.
“We must love one another, embrace one another as communities.
“Even the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersexual (LGBTI) community must be protected.
“We are no better than them. We must stop condemning.
“Even our constitution protects them. It does not discriminate against them, but they are discriminated by us as people,” said Shabangu.
Shabangu also spoke about child abduction and said we must all play our part in protecting our children. -@FanieFLK
