Men must commit to ending violence
MEN need to be in the forefront of ending violence against women, and they need to stand up to say they will not beat up women, executive director of UN Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said.
She was speaking in the Gerehu Market in Port Moresby, Papua, in New Guinea this week to mark the 16 Days of Activism of No Violence against Women and Children.
The UN’s campaign theme is “Orange the World: Raise Money to End Violence against Women and Girls”.
Independent Media’s social change campaign #Don’tLookAway dovetails with the UN. We are calling on people to not look away when they see acts of violence.
Over the past two weeks, many people have painted their index fingers orange as a sign of solidarity in eradicating violence against women and children.
Mlambo-Ngcuka said leaders were counting on people to not look away.
“You will stand up for a member of the family who is living with violence. You will make sure that the authorities that need to be aware are made aware, and that some measures are taken to bring about protection in the family.”
She said women needed to know they are not alone, that they can reach out to people outside their families for help.
“To the many civil society and women’s organisations that are here, to their churches, their pastors, the police, or their governor. Everyone who is here today is with you. Just have the courage and the conviction that you will be able to overcome this, and you are not alone.”
She said conversations on violence against women and children needed to go beyond women’s groups and activists. According to Mlambo-Ngcuka, these are conversations that belongs to the church, the sports fraternity, the police force and the schools.
“The men in our communities need to know that they must be in the forefront to end violence against women. We need to hear more men standing up and saying, ‘I will not beat up a woman. This is my commitment’.
“So it is this spirit that we want – the spirit of ownership because as brothers, as fathers, as leaders, as partners, we are responsible for making our communities safe.”
Mlambo-Ngcuka said by joining and working in partnership with women, individuals also become role models for young people.
The cycle of violence needs to be broken, she said, as the tragedy of domestic violence is that in families where children observe their mothers or sisters experiencing violence, they begin to believe it is normal.
“Yet, we know that a good man does not show his strength by being violent towards a member of his family.
“Children need to know that a home is a safe place where every member of the family should be comfortable and happy.”