Fund to fight gender-based violence

President Cyril Ramaphosa has launched a private sector-led, multisectoral gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) response fund aimed at supporting the implementation of the National Strategic Plan (NSP), and the wider response in the country.

The response fund is a fulfilment of a resolution of the GBVF declaration which followed the GBVF Summit held in 2018.

The summit brought together government, civil society and other role players to find lasting interventions to end GBVF.

The declaration endorsed Ramaphosa’s call to all South Africans, including the private sector, to respond to gender-based violence (GBV), and to allocate the resources required for a national strategy.

Progress made

Speaking at Thursday’s virtual launch, Ramaphosa noted that while it has been a challenging year in which many of the priorities set by government for its term of office have had to take a back seat as the country responded to the Covid-19 pandemic, government has nevertheless made progress.

Progress has been made in a number of areas relating to gender-based violence and the financial inclusion of women.

“We convened a successful webinar on the ratification of [the] International Labour Organisation Convention 190 on ending violence and harassment in the workplace, we joined the United Nations Generation Equality Forum and participated in advocacy around GBV and women’s financial inclusion,” said Ramaphosa.

“We also lobbied for gender-responsive trade policies to be developed as part of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

“As a country, South Africa has adopted a policy of 40% preferential public procurement for women-owned enterprises, and we are promoting a minimum target of 30% for the region.”

He said the launch of GBVF response fund is testament to the strength and power of social partnership.

“It has been a long and challenging road, but we have laid the cornerstone. This is just the beginning, and we are confident that the pledging process will continue into this year,” said Ramaphosa.

He added that the business and donor communities have been the country’s dependable developmental partners since the advent of democracy.

“I am keenly aware that you have many competing demands on your money, especially during the pandemic. This is about so much more than philanthropy or corporate social responsibility… it is about making a solid investment in a South Africa that is truly egalitarian, nonracial, nonsexist, democratic, prosperous and free,” Ramaphosa said.