The gender-based violence must end
LET’S hope after all the anger over gender-based violence, that everything doesn’t go back to normal, with nothing being done.
Our president made some comments about no parole, life meaning life etc for rapists and murderers, but honestly is he now going to walk the walk rather than just talking the talk?
Talk is cheap and we have had MPs and presidents talking, but not walking over the past 25 years.
I read in the Sunday papers that the Department of Women spent R1.1 million last year on consultants to investigate the distribution of free sanitary products. What? After two years the project, if we can call it that, is still not finalised.
In total last year R6.3m was spent on consultants. What?
This department gets a R204m budget. With the lion’s share going on salaries for a bulging department that actually does nothing, except maybe going on overseas jamborees, and paying out millions for consultants when it has hundreds of staff who are obviously not doing their jobs, if they have to bring consultants on board.
This money should be put into grassroots-levels to teach young boys how to treat young girls. It is too late having campaigns aimed at the men in this country…
We have had many of those. Think Charlize Theron, whose campaign said: “Where are all the real men out there?” Well, we didn’t find them.
Let’s teach the younger generation to make a change.
That is why I am so glad to see the boys’ schools getting involved. Well done. This is where we will see a difference.
Perhaps the circumcision schools where boys become men could have classes to teach these youths how to treat women. But perhaps even that is too late. So let’s start at nursery school upwards.
But as usual in this country, I won’t hold my breath that anything will change, which is a national tragedy.
Since writing this letter, three more women have been murdered, and another raped.
There is the CT campaign for real men to make a promise. It all means nothing, as I have said below. We need to start at grassroots to teach young boys.
Anything else sadly is useless, as the perpetrators carry on regardless.