Plan to ‘stand up’ for women and children

RELIGIOUS and government leaders and NGOs are preparing for the launch of a national campaign to tackle violence against women and children to mark Women’s Month in August.

At a media briefing in Fourways, the National Religious Leaders Council initiated the campaign with the Rhema Family Churches, International Federation of Christian Churches, civil society groups Save SA and Section27, and the Ministry of Women made a public pledge for the cause yesterday.

Delegates discussed how the attacks on women and children in recent months raised concerns about how society reacted to the abuse of women and children.

This followed the death of Karabo Mokoena, 3-year-old Courtney Pieters and Thembisile Yende, who were all murdered by men.

Reverend Ray McCauley said the murder of Mokoena was a great shock and had left the country outraged.

“We also know that it’s not only Karabo… There are a lot of women and children in the rural areas and townships who do not get any media coverage, but are suffering,” he added.

“The reality is that genderbased violence is a crime of power, one that seeks to uphold patriarchal laws and control the female body in the framework of historically unequal powers.”

McCauley quoted from a Statistics SA 2016 survey that one in every five South African women over 18 had experienced physical violence, while one in every three young South Africans had experienced some form of sexual abuse.

McCauley said the plan of action for the national campaign was for all South Africans to stand up against violence against women and children.