WATCH: MEC launches 16 Days of Activism at Rhodes Park
Recognising that violence against women and children is not ending, the campaign has broadened to encompass a 365 day integrated plan of action to eliminate violence against women and children.
The MEC for Community Safety, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane, launched the 16 Days of Activism for no violence against women and children campaign on Novemeber 23 in Rhodes Park, Kensington.
“Count me in – together making Gauteng city region safe for women and children” is the motto for this year’s campaign.
Media reports on violence against women highlight the continuous challenges women face in their homes and at the hands of their loves ones.
“In addition, the children, siblings and parents of the victims of abuse become the invisible victims,” said MEC Nkosi-Malobane.
The 16 Days of Activism campaign was adopted in 1998 as one intervention strategy towards creating a society free of violence.
The campaign has also been extended to include issues relating to violence against children.
Recognising that violence against women and children is not ending, the campaign has broadened to encompass a 365 day integrated plan of action to eliminate violence against women and children.
“The law enforcement agencies are hard at work to ensure the perpetrators of violence against women are brought to book and dealt with accordingly. In the process of dealing with the perpetrators, our law enforcement agencies are compromised because some women are not resolute. On the one hand, they raise alarm for the law to take its course, on the other they succumb to manipulation and beg the law enforcement officers to withdraw the charges.
“These are some of the challenges we need to address as a society in general. The violence against women takes the character of a vicious cycle. One incident of abuse leads to another,” said MEC Nkosi-Malabane.
She said the fight against women abuse needs social cohesion with its constituent elements that include social inclusion, social capital and social mobility.
“The significance of the faith-based organisations and non-governmental organisations can never go unnoticed. As a society, we need to strengthen the role played by the above mentioned stakeholders and as a collective, begin to walk the talk in our quest to eradicate this monstrous behaviour,” said MEC Nkosi-Malobane.
The Gauteng Provincial Government has various victim empowerment centres (VECs) which are safe havens for abused women.
Officials at the VECs are trained to offer professional support services in restoring dignity and instilling hope to those who have been subjected to physical abuse and emotional turbulences.
“A big applause to those resolute women who, amid the numerous attempts to be manipulated by their abusive partners and husbands, stand their ground and soldier on to ensure the perpetrators receive the full might of the law,” said MEC Nkosi-Malobane.
The Gauteng City Region has developed a programme to commemorate the campaign which will involve community participation.
A family fun day will be held on December 5 at Rhodes Park.
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