Tears Foundation launches free platform to empower youth
Tears Foundation aims to educate and empower youth to take a stand against gender based violence and femicide with the launch of its free educational platform, Speak Up
The Tears Foundation hopes to teach more of the community’s youth the importance of speaking out and taking a stand against gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa.
Ahead of 16 Days of Activism (November 25 to December 10), the Chislehurston-based community organisation launched its free digital education platform Speak Up, targeted at individuals between the ages of 13 and 26.
Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in all official languages, the platforms address issues such as teen pregnancy, the spread of HIV/Aids, rape, and sexual abuse.
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According to the organisation’s founder Mara Glennie, it is important to educate the youth about the value and consequences of their actions.
“While the spread of HIV/Aids and teenage pregnancy have always been causes for concern in South Africa, the past few years have seen a rapid and alarming increase in teenage pregnancy statistics.”
Earlier this year Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga declared teen pregnancy a national crisis after it was revealed that over 90 000 girls between the ages of 10 and 19 had given birth from March 2021 to April 2022.
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“Apart from not being able to financially support their infants, baby mortality rates are also typically higher, due to both insufficient medical assistance and increased risks associated with these younger women bearing children.”
“Our aim with Speak Up is to educate South African adolescents about values and the consequences of teen sex and unprotected sex, but most importantly, we will explain that saying ‘no’ and speaking up when you are being violated, is a basic human right.”
She added that violence against women is everyone’s business.
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The country saw a 52% increase in the number of murder cases reported of women and a 46% increase in the number of murder cases reported of children, between the first quarter of 2021 (April to June) and the first quarter of 2022, as reported by SAPS.
“Responding to gender inequality and all forms of gender-based violence requires creativity, collaboration, and courage,” Glennie concluded.
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