Press Release(s) about future events of the SGBVC

 

Press release(s)

 

Press Statement: This National Women’s Day, the Stop Gender Based Violence Centre reiterates call for a safer South Africa for woman

Published: 09 August 2023

 

National Women’s Day is commemorated on 9 August every year, commemorating this Day is an opportunity to honour and celebrate the beauty and strength of South African women, but also to draw attention to issues that women in Africa still face. These issues include gender based violence (GBV), discrimination and harassment in different areas of life, unequal pay, and a lack of access to education and sexual reproductive health services for women and girls.

Generation equality 

This year’s Women’s Day is celebrated under the theme “Generation equality: Realising women’s rights for an equal future”. Generation equality is a global campaign that highlights the existing gender inequality in the world and the need to address it. Choosing this theme for Women’s Day for 2022 links South Africa to global efforts to achieve gender equality by 2030, despite the regressive impact that the COVID19 pandemic has had on gender equality. 

Gender-based violence

It is on this premise that the Stop Gender Based Violence Centre in commemorating this auspicious day, reiterates its call for a safer South Africa where there is utmost regard for the sanctity of women’s bodies and lives, and where GBV and femicide was aptly highlighted by president Ramaphosa on 17 July 2020, when he described GBV as ‘a war being waged against the women and children of our country’

Femicide

Femicide is a sex-based hate crime defined by the World Health

Organisation as “the intentional murder of women because they are women”. It is the most extreme form of GBV, and is widely prevalent in South Africa. Femicide has been referred to as “a rampant disease that is festering in our society”.

Twin pandemics

We at the Stop Gender Based Violence Centre recognise that an equal future where women’s rights are realised would be a far cry if the menace of GBV and femicide are not dealt with comprehensively. Described as the twin pandemics to COVID-19, GBV continues to plague the women and girls of South Africa and cause untold hardship including physical, mental and financial tensions. As a results of the lockdown measures in which many businesses were affected, women were out of employment and financially incapacitated. This in turn means that women were forced to stay at home with perpetrators, leaving them more vulnerable to abuse. Economic dependence on the perpetrator also means that abused women cannot independently exercise their social and economic existence away from the proximity of perpetrators. This makes women more susceptible to the whims and control of the perpetrators. The COVID-19 pandemic therefore brings into sharp focus and exacerbated pre-existing patriarchal social norms and gender inequality that fuel the incidence of GBV.

Call to stakeholders

In the face of this persistence and indeed in commemorating the National Women’s Day, the Stop Gender Based Violence Centre recognizes that the problems of GBV and femicide are complex issues requiring a multifaceted response and commitment. It calls on all relevant stakeholders including the government of South Africa, civil society organisations and citizens for a concerted effort to eliminate GBV and ensure a safer South Africa for the women of today and tomorrow.

It makes the following key recommendations for a more efficient national response to the problem of GBV including femicide:

• Development of a criminal justice system which is victim oriented. The undermined trust in justice and law enforcement system and contributes to the low level of GBV cases;

• Establishment of an inter-departmental coordination mechanism to harmonies the spectrum of services available to victims survivors of GBV and fermicide;

• Consideration for and development of GBV responsive pandemic measures.

The Stop Gender Based Violence Centre (SGBVC) wishes the government and women of South Africa happy celebrations and renews its commitment to continue to work and advocate for a society where there is zero tolerance of gender based violence and femicide and where the aspiration of realizing women’s rights for an equal future becomes a reality. 

Happy Women’s Day!

For more information, please contact: 

Miss Xoliswa Mitana

Project Officer- Stop Gender Based Violence Centre 

Tel:+27(0) 45 520 1123 Fax: +27(0) 86 459 5423 xoliswamitana0@gmail.com

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE: SGBVC HOSTS DIALOGUE ON 16 DAYS OF

ACTIVISM FOR NO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN

 

Published: 26 February 2023

In an effort to afford South Africans with an opportunity to directly engage with their public representatives and government agencies on the ethos and principles of 16 Days of Activism, the Stop Gender Based Violence Centre will on the 27 November 2023 host a dialogue on 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children.

The dialogue, led by the Chairperson of the organization Miss Xoliswa Mitana and the Deputy Chairperson Mr Ntando Sihlangu will be held under the theme: “ACT AND DON’T LOOK AWAY”.

As part of the programme, Ms. Gugu Ndima, the Author of “All in a Gals Life” will address the gathering on the Socio-Economic implications of

Gender-Based Violence, while Dr James Smith, a Clinical Psychologist, Life Coach and Author of a book titled- Trapped in Love, will reflect on overcoming emotional abuse.

The Co-founder of Sonke Gender Justice, Mr Bafana Khumalo will provide practical guidelines on the role of boys and men in fighting Gender-based Violence to challenge and change social norms and attitudes that cause perpetuate gender-based violence.

The dialogue will be attended by among others, members of South

African Parliament, National Progressive Women’s Forum, South African Youth Council, youth formations, Non-Governmental Organisations, academics and authors.

Details of the dialogue are as follows:

Date: 27 November 2023

Time: 15:00-17-00pm

Venue: Online Platform

SGBVC meetings are open to the media and the public. Journalists who are interested in covering these meetings (including receiving links to virtual meetings) are requested to forward their cell phone numbers to Mlindi Mpindi on email: mmindi@sgbvc.gov.za for inclusion in the SGBVC communications Services WhatsApp Group, where such information is shared. Journalists are urged to forward these requests using their official email addresses (no private emails).

Members of the public may get involved and follow the virtual session via live stream on SGBVC YouTube channel and Twitter page on the links below. You may subscribe to the SGBVC YouTube channel to receive instant notification of live feeds.

Issued by the Stop Gender Based Violence Centre (SGBVC)

Enquiries: Xoliswa Mitana  078 486 0452 xoliswamitana0@gmail.com