THE Durban North SAPS took the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) to the streets of uMhlanga last week by educating members of the public and handing out educational pamphlets.

Spokesperson for the Durban North police station Sergeant Nonhlanhla Shozi said the scourge of violence against women and children in South Africa must be confronted head-on by law enforcement, which is why they hosted their awareness campaign.

The significance of the awareness drives comes as the country observes the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign, a United Nations-endorsed initiative that takes place annually from November 25 (International Day of No Violence against Women) to December 10 (International Human Rights Day).

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“For us, this campaign focuses on raising awareness of the devastating impact that gender-based violence and femicide has on women and children and the social fabric of society. We have a number of operations planned for the next 16 days and beyond, but we felt it would be a good opportunity to speak to the people on the ground.

“The message was well-received with members of the public engaging with us on raising awareness. For this particular campaign, we handed out pamphlets and spoke to people from all backgrounds in uMhlanga. We also took the opportunity to educate the public on reporting crimes of this nature and sensitising them on crime awareness in the area,” she said.

This year marks the 25th anniversary since South Africa initiated the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign.

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