November 25, 2003
By Jonews Reporter
IMAGINE if, for 16 days, there were no rape, no child abuse, no sexual harassment, no emotional abuse. Difficult to imagine? The Sixteen Days of Activism campaign challenges South Africans to declare a truce on violence against women and children - and, ultimately, to make it a permanent one.
Around the country, South Africans are being called to action to combat violence against women and children. For the sixth year, South Africa is taking part in the global 16 Days of Activism For No Violence Against Women and Children campaign, which runs from November 25 through to International Human Rights Day on December 10.
Although the global campaign focuses on violence against women only, South Africa has added children to its campaign, because of the high incidence of child abuse in the country.
Transport Minister Dullah Omar has appealed to South Africans to continue the fight against gender violence beyond the 16 days, saying that if it were confined to just these 16 days, South Africans would "never win the war".
The campaign is supported by government, business and civil society organisations and aims to raise awareness about abuse. During the campaign, money will be raised to assist non-governmental organisations that support abused women and children.
More than 24 non-governmental organisations offering help to abused women and children in South Africa benefited from the R1.8-million raised during the campaign last year.
"Bearing in mind that women and children are the mothers of the nation, by liberating women and children, we will also be liberating ourselves," Omar said during the launch of the campaign in Johannesburg last week.
Colleen Lowe Morna, executive director of Gender Links, said: "The police can't put an officer at every household in South Africa. Individuals should start talking about the issue, and with the introduction of the Domestic Violence Act, people don't have a reason not to report violence against women and children."
Lowe Morna added that in order to address the causes of gender violence, which include inequalities between men and women, women should be empowered economically, politically and socially so as to break the silence.
"We need to look at empowering women, socially, economically and politically, and changing the attitudes of men. Because if men respected women and if women were empowered, the issue of gender violence would end," Lowe Morna said.
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