POLOKWANE – Every year people across South Africa join in the global 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign to raise awareness about this abuse and to remind victims how to seek help.
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The MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA), Makoma Makhurupetje, launched the 16 Days of Activism in Limpopo, on behalf of Premier Stanley Mathabatha, on Saturday.
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This year’s theme for the campaign is Count Me in: Moving a Non-Violent South Africa Forward and this campaign seeks to raise awareness of the plight of many women and children who suffer violence as a regular occurrence.
Provincial Government Spokesperson, Phuti Seloba, said the the campaign was launched against the backdrop of an escalated number of incidents of abuse and violence against women and children in the country, triggering social media campaigns such as the recent #ManAreTrash.
“Provincial government hopes to reduce, and ultimately end, the scourge of violence against women and children through this campaign,” Seloba said.
The objectives of the campaign are:
• To encourage community involvement in initiatives to combat crimes against women and children.
• To communicate government’s substantive programmes and priority actions to deal with the challenges of women and child abuse.
• To create awareness about gender-based violence and child directed abuse at grassroots level by bringing the 16 Days of Activism campaign closer to the people.
The event is targeting 1 000 stakeholders from government, businesses and faith-based organisations, youths and civil society wherein all stakeholders will sign a pledge to commit to the effective implementation of the programme.
“With the launch of this campaign, the Limpopo Provincial Government will join millions of people nationwide to say no to violence against woman and child abuse,” Seloba said.
On Monday police also launched their campaign of 16 Days of Activism of no Violence against Women and Children in the Tzaneen area. The launch was attended by Provincial Police Commissioner, Lt Genl Nneke Ledwaba, deputy commissioners, cluster and station commanders, Hosi N’wamitwa and other traditional leaders as well as representatives from the business and farming communities.
