Vivian Warby
16 November 2007
Men and boys must stand up and be counted in the campaign to end violence against women and children by taking part in the marches that are being planned as part of this year's 16 Days campaign, says Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
Speaking in Parliament in Cape Town on Wednesday, Mlambo-Ngcuka urged South African men and boys to take part in the planned marches and for organisations to arrange marches in their own communities.
The 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign will begin on 25 November with an opening ceremony in Bloemfontein. This will be marked by a men's march in the province. More marches are planned in other provinces on the day.
Responding to a question in the National Assembly, the Deputy President said there had to be a strong effort to get men and boys on board for the campaign, adding that the only way to change the behaviour of men was to increase their level of understanding of the issues around abuse against women and children.
While research has shown that the public's awareness of these issues doubled between 2003 and 2006, at 33% it was still too low, she said.
Mlambo-Ncguka said billboard campaigns had helped increase awareness in urban areas, but that outreach in marginalised communities and rural areas needed to be enhanced.
A farm workers awareness campaign around the abuse of women and children, as well as initiatives in Grabouw earlier this year, had proved successful, the Deputy President said.
The government is currently forming strong bonds with men's organisations which support gender-based violence issues, she added, highlighting the "One Man Can" campaign as a positive initiative.
Mlambo-Ncguka said a new law dealing with sexual offences, which had been passed by the National Assembly and was currently with the National Council of Provinces, be treated as urgent.
The Deputy President pointed out there were many initiatives to improve policing and the use of forensic and DNA evidence in the criminal justice system, but that skills shortages and human resources remained a problem.
Source: BuaNews
