During the month of November, we should all be recognising 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children and work on creating a non-violent South Africa for all.
This is a time to stand together and be examples of support to those in need. I would like to encourage every single member of the community to speak out against abuse and not accept it as the norm.
The 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children is an international awareness-raising campaign and takes place every year from November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to December 10 (International Human Rights Day).
Some objectives of this campaign are to work on expanding accountability beyond the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster to include all government clusters and provinces; to draw attention to the many ways that violence affects the lives of all people in all communities around the world; to ensure mass mobilisation of all communities to promote collective responsibility in the fight to eradicate violence against women and children and to emphasise the fact that the solution to this problem lies with each one of us.
How you can get involved:
• You can support this campaign by purchasing your white ribbon and wearing it during the 16-day period. The white ribbon is a symbol of peace. By wearing the white ribbon, you will also be committing to never committing or accepting the act of violence against women and children.
• Contact your local council or community newspaper and ask them which NGOs need volunteers or how you can lend your services for the campaign.
• Talk to friends, relatives and colleagues to take a stand against the abuse of women and children.
• Encourage silent female victims to talk about abuse and ensure that they get help.
• Report child abuse to the police.
• Encourage children to report bullying behaviour to school authorities.
• Spread the message on social media using #16Days2018
Malcolm Maifala, Ward 38 councillor
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