Capture Date: Thu, 11/12/2008 - 12:51
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By Bathandwa Mbola
Queenstown - South Africans have an obligation to spread the message of hope to fellow African women and children who are victims of abuse and violence.
This is according to Deputy Minister for Provincial and Local Government Nomatyala Hangana, the convener of the campaign of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children.
Addressing the closing ceremony of the 16-day campaign in Queenstown on Wednesday, Ms Hangana said: "We must be their voices, we must be their eyes, we must give them hope."
The deputy minister said there was a need to extend programmes that seek to end women and child abuse to our neighbours because women and children in many African countries face rape, violence, mutilation and execution in ethnic and military conflicts, which are predominantly patriarchal in nature.
The 16 Days campaign, which began on 25 November, drew to a close on International Human Rights Day on 10 December. Held annually, the campaign aims to generate increased awareness about the negative impact of violence on women and children.
In South Africa, government and civil society organisations have agreed to extend the campaign for a non-violent society to 365 days to ensure the plight of children is also highlighted.
According to Ms Hangana, while there was a closing event to mark the end of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, the campaign for a non-violent society must continue throughout the year.
"The abuse of women and children is a gross social problem that we must continue to fight on a daily basis and condemn with the contempt it deserves," she said.
Echoing Deputy President Baleka Mbete in her opening address at the launch of the 16 Days campaign last month, Ms Hangana said South Africans need to combat this social ill every single day of the year.
"I want to challenge all of us present here to strengthen our resolve to act against abuse every minute of every hour, ever hour of every day, and it should be part of our New Years resolutions for 2009," she said.
The deputy minister also indicated that together with civil organisations, government needed to ensure that there was an increase the number of convictions of perpetrators of violence and abuse.
"This message of unrelenting action against perpetrators must be accompanied by an equally loud message of hope for the abused and victims that the law is on their side."
Police statistics indicate that in South Africa about 36190 women were raped between April and December 2007. This figure translates into more than 4000 reported rapes a month, however the figure reflects a decrease of about 5000 reported cases when compared to the 2001 figure.
According to Ms Hangana, these figures should be an impetus to intensify our efforts to unsure that women and children are respected and supported.
By not looking away and acting against abuse, she said we are embarking on the first step in bringing hope to thousands of voiceless and vulnerable young girls and women.
"A society free of gender and age-based intimidation, abuse and violence is possible. We carry the hopes of thousands of children and women in our hands," concluded the deputy minister. - BuaNews
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