November 24, 2005
Opening address by Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Councillor Amos Masondo, on the occasion of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign Against Woman and Child Abuse, Johannesburg Metropolitan Council, Braamfontein
Programme Director; Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, Cheryl Gillwald; Deputy Minister of Health, Nozizwe Madlala Routledge; Chairperson for Commission of Gender Equality Chair, Joyce Piliso Seroke; Executive Director Gender Links, Janine Moolman; Speaker of the Johannesburg Council, Nandi Mayathula-Khosa; Fellow Councillors; Members of civil society organisations and activists; Distinguished guests; Ladies and Gentlemen
Programme Director, thank-you for the opportunity to welcome you to the City of Johannesburg on this important occasion, the start of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign Against Woman and Child Abuse.
Deputy Minister of Correctional Services Cheryl Gillwald and Johannesburg Executive Mayor Amos Masondo launch the 16 Days campaign
(Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg)
This campaign seeks to challenge all South Africans to declare a truce on violence against women and children and, ultimately make it a permanent one. It also seeks for all of us to combat violence against women and children.
We are gathered here to:
- Generate greater awareness of the negative impact of violence on the development of women and children;
- To stress the importance of partnerships between government and civil society in eradication of women and child abuse;
- Involve men and boys as crucial role-players in the eradication of violence against women and children;
- Provide victims and survivors of violence with information about legislative services and other mechanisms put in place by the government to ameliorate the impact of violence on their lives; and
- Raise funds for non-governmental and community-based organisations working with victims and survivors of violence.
Programme Director, it is important to note that this campaign - for the eighth year running in South Africa - happens during the global 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women campaign, which begins with International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on 25 November through to International Human Rights Day on 10 December.
Although the global campaign focuses on violence against women only, South Africa has added children to its campaign due to the high incidence of child abuse in the country.
I am sure many of you will agree with me when I say that the question of woman and child abuse is one of society's greatest challenges. Programme Director, despite our world-renowned Constitution and a legislative overhaul that safeguards women and children's rights, we still have unacceptable levels of violence against those that are vulnerable. We, therefore, have much work to do to turn this situation around.
In this forum, as well as in the City of Johannesburg, we should seek and find ways to address old attitudes towards gender violence.
Having said all this, Programme Director, some progress has been made:
- Our Courts are toughening up on gender violence. The courts have continued to send out strong messages that gender violence is not acceptable.
- There has been new Legislation passed in the form of the Children's Bill by the National Assembly.
- Significant progress has been made towards the development of legislation to combat trafficking.
- Our law enforcement agencies are being sensitised though the Integrated Domestic Violence Training Programme, which has been launched, and the development of a multi-sectoral manual.
- Integrated approaches to addressing gender violence continue to show promise. Thuthuzela centres that are directly linked to sexual offences courts - such as the court in Wynberg and Thuthuzela Centre in Manenberg in the Western Cape - have been shown to yield a 95 percent conviction rate, compared to the 7 percent rate in regular courts.
- The Department of Health has launched a National Sexual Assault Policy that aims to provide "a high quality, co-ordinated and holistic assault service which meets the health needs of the rape survivor and the needs of the criminal justice system".
- The media has become more a part of the solution than of the problem.
- There is a growing "men's movement" in support of gender justice.
- Public awareness campaigns keep gaining momentum.
Programme Director, like last year, we hope that during the series of Cyber Dialogues, men and women will participate in debates with senior government officials and non-governmental organisations and air their views on gender violence at community centres and across the country.
We live in a constitutional democracy that recognises gender equity as its cornerstone. Let us continue on our journey to build a caring society that is non-racial and non-sexist.
Let me conclude by wishing you successful debates, dialogue and fruitful deliberations.
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