Come stand against women and children abuse

Sisters, misters and their furry friends are urged to take part in the 11th annual 1st for Women Sisters with Blisters protest walk which is set to take place in Montecasino.

The protest walk is in partnership with Jacaranda FM and is set to be one of the biggest of its kind.

The protest not only raises awareness around the saddeningly high statistics of woman and child abuse in the country but also urges victims, those who know them and the broader public, to take definite action against it.

“This will be the largest peaceful protest of its kind – a chance for men, women and children to come together, walk as one and make our collective voices heard. There is strength in numbers and with that strength comes power – the power to make a difference,” Casey Rousseau, spokesperson for 1st for Women Insurance and the 1st for Women Foundation said.

South Africa has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the world and the Department of Justice estimates that one out of every four South African women are survivors of domestic violence.

In 2014 and last year, it was estimated that 563 841 sexual offences occurred but only 62 649 sexual offences were reported. A total of 8 174 of these sexual offences cases went to court, and only 1 per cent of the perpetrators got jail time for their horrendous crimes.

Rousseau explained that violence against women is a social tragedy and transcends political, religious and economic boundaries and it has detrimental consequences for the country at large.

“Besides the far-reaching psychological effects of abuse, it costs the country between R28.4 billion and R42.4 billion per year. More can and must be done to highlight this injustice. Every case of a woman being abused is a case too many. Too many survivors continue to suffer in silence and it’s our joint responsibility to do whatever possible to change this,” Rousseau said.

Sisters with Blisters marks the start of 16 Days of Activism for no Violence Against Women and Children campaign. All proceeds raised will be donated to two organisations that make an active and practical difference to the lives of those affected by abuse– Men and Women against Child Abuse, and the Centre for Community Justice and Development.
Community members are urged to take the chance to dress up, step out, speak out and inspire victims of abuse to change their lives for the better.

Tickets can be purchased via www.sisterswithblisters.co.za