Empowering women is key to ending abuse

THE country has repeatedly been plagued by Gender-Based Violence (GBV) lately, with few solutions forthcoming.

With many campaigns against GBV in place around the country, nothing seems to work. Collectively, we need to change the approach to seek ways to empower women, people living with disabilities and young adults.

Recently I found myself punching the air with excitement after I learned that the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and

Rural Development, Thoko Didiza, had published the Selection of Beneficiary and Land Allocation policy for public comment until March 2.

Let’s rally behind the minister and free our women from the abuse, poverty and daily violence they experience. Make your voice heard for the benefit of our country.

Once passed into law, the Selection of Beneficiary and Land Allocation policy will mark the rebirth of the nation, by proactively prioritising the law to benefit women, youth, people living with disabilities and agricultural graduates.

Women have not received their fair share of the country’s land, it is about time that women and youth who have passion in agriculture recover the lost economic opportunities that they have been denied.

Women living in rural areas are still characterised by great poverty and inequality, with many households trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty.

Allocating state land to women and youth will ensure food security and economic participation.

Food security exists when everyone has access to sufficient, nutritious and safe food all the time. We need a living rural environment which can feed its own, not one which runs out of food and drives its people into the hands of the abusers.