Samantha Harris from the Centre for Violence and Reconciliation gets ready for the cross-country trip

RELATED LINKS: Joburg makes a stand against abuse QUICK off the starting blocks, Johannesburg launched the 16 Days of Activism campaign, and the Cyber Dialogues, ahead of the national launch. Read more Mayor launches 16 Days of Activism EXECUTIVE Mayor Councillor Amos Masondo calls on all members of society to help end gender violence and abuse of children. Read more Fight continues to stop gender violence ONCE again, the 16 Days of Activism campaign is working to stop violence against women and children. As the number of these crimes increases, so does the need for the campaign. Read more Alexandra's Kidz Clinic turns two THE Alexandra Kidz Clinic turned two on World Aids Day. The clinic provides specialised treatment for abused children and serves as a ''one stop friendly centre'' for free medical and psychological treatment for the children. Read more Abused women become homeowners THE end of the 16 Days of Activism campaign was marked in Johannesburg with the handing over of 16 houses to abused women. Read more Building a house a day SIXTEEN houses will be built in as many days, as part of the 16 Days of Activism campaign against gender and child abuse. Read more Gender commission moves into Constitution Hill WHILE construction on the outside is still going ahead, Constitution Hill is already welcoming its next tenant - The Commission on Gender Equality - in a bid to fulfil its vision of creating a Human Rights Campus in the area. Read more

The bus leaves Constitution Hill for its national tour

Get on the bus campaign A national bus campaign has set off from Constitution Hill in Joburg and is on its way to parliament in Cape Town to highlight violence against women and children. March 9, 2006 By Emmanuel Mulaudzi THE Centre for Violence and Reconciliation has launched a month-long national bus campaign challenging violence against women and children. Written on the side of the bus is the plea, "Get on the bus and stop violence against women and children." It departed in style from Constitution Hill on Wednesday, 8 March, with some 30 activists and will tour all nine provinces before ending in the Western Cape on 10 April. Here petitions will be handed over to parliament in Cape Town. Activists taking part in the launch sported T-shirts reading, "Against her will against the law." It included exhibitions of HIV/Aids ribbons, pamphlets and posters that will be distributed during the tour, photographs from the Fatherhood Project, which is run by the Human Sciences Research Council, and a selection of stories compiled by Engender Health. Bulelwa Lutuli and Nombulelo Mkhuma ride the bus to create awareness of violence against women and children Guest speaker Andile Carelse, a musician who heads the Open Disclosure Foundation, said the idea behind the campaign was to give people information rather than their having to look for information. The foundation encourages young women and men to speak out against sexual violence. Lisa Vetten, the gender programme manager at the centre, says 40 community organisations and non-governmental organisations from across the country will join the campaign. It will include workshops, the collection of petitions urging the government to prioritise the Sexual Offences Bill, and the distribution of pamphlets and posters. During the campaign, communities' views on how government departments can implement laws and policy relevant to rape and domestic violence will be recorded and taken to parliament. Some of the organisations and networks involved include the National Working Group on the Sexual Offences Bill; the Western Cape, Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal Networks on Violence Against Women; Cape Town Rape Crisis Trust; Masisikumene; Nisaa; Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Programme; Thusanang Advice Centre and Women'sNet. For more information and daily updates during the bus's journey, visit the Women's Net website. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za