By Hlulani Mashaba
The 16 Days of Activism campaign for no violence against women and children is used as an organising strategy by individuals and organisations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and children.
The scourge of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) manifests in various forms and has multiple layer effects, thus impacting profoundly on the lives and well-being of survivors, families, communities and broader society.
While the 16 Days of Activism campaign commenced on November 25, 2022, and is expected to finish on December 10, 2022, the Gauteng Provincial Government has already adopted a 365-day programme of action to fight the scourge of gender-based violence.
To this end, the Gauteng Provincial Government has allocated over R65 million to drive implementation of the Gauteng Strategic Plan and strengthen the machinery to eliminate violence against women and children.
A significant proportion of these funds has been committed to advancing the empowerment of women through procurement, business support and access to economic opportunities.
Support has also been extended to survivors, strengthening the response of the criminal justice system and undertaking prevention programmes at GBVF hotspots.
The Crime Against Women in South Africa reports that a woman is murdered every three hours, which is more than five times higher than the global average, according to the World Health Organisation.
The 2021/22 crime statistics revealed that Gauteng reported a total 10 810 sexual offences. The fact that the national crime picture on rape indicates that 5 082 incidents took place during the second quarter of the 2022/23 financial year is worrying.
It is widely reported that these rape incidents took place at the homes of the rapists and victims and suggest that the safety of women and children has reached critical point.
It cannot be that women are raped even in the comfort of their own homes. About 1 651 of the rape cases took place at places such as streets, parks and beaches, as well as 1 520 rape cases registered at liquor outlets. This is very concerning.
The Gauteng Provincial Government continues to roll out a mass social mobilisation campaign to highlight the need for increased participation and engagement of men, as well as the collective responsibility of all members of society in the prevention of violence against women and children.
This was evident during the launch of 16 Days of Activism campaign at Jabulani in Soweto where over 3 000 men were part of the proceedings.
During this heightened 16 Days of Activism campaign period and beyond, the Gauteng Provincial Government partnered with civil society and the private sector by hosting a series of community and sector dialogues, as well as activities to foster a collaborative effort in dealing with gender-based violence and femicide.
The Gauteng Provincial Government is co-ordinating the multi-sectoral approach to strengthen partnerships towards the elimination of gender-based violence and femicide.
In an effort to fight the GBVF pandemic, the Gauteng Provincial Government has rolled out over 60 green doors in the five corridors of the province. These safe sites offer victims of gender-based violence with services such as emotional containment, trauma debriefing and referral to the nearest police station to open a case.
The green doors function on a 24-hour basis and serve as a link to the entry point of the criminal justice system.
The Gauteng Provincial Government has 143 floor managers attached to police stations to assist survivors as they enter police stations, including ensuring that all police stations have GBV desks as announced by the minister of police. Over 160 law enforcement officers were trained in response and support towards victims of gender-based violence and femicide.
Communities are encouraged to report all elements of abuse to authorities such as SAPS Crime Stop: 08600 10111 / SMS Crime Line: 32211 and GBV Command Centre: 0800 428 428 / *120*7867 from any cell phone.
Hlulani Mashaba is the deputy director: media relations, Gauteng Department of Community Safety.