Remembering victims of GBV and celebrating the girl- child in KZN

A CHURCH service to pray for an end to gender- based violence ( GBV) and femicide was held at Inanda’s Mount Zion Church recently. The event was attended by the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu and the Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana- Mashabane together with their KZN counterpart, MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza.

As part of the International Day of the Girl Child celebrations in Durban, Minister Zulu also held an intergenerational dialogue with 50 girls from local communities. The aim of this event was to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.

The GBV ministerial programme was prompted by the seemingly ceaseless incidents of GBV in areas like Umlazi, Empangeni, Inanda, Kwamashu, Ntuzuma and Osizweni.

In what has been described as a second pandemic, the scourge of GBV has increased drastically in South Africa, and has given rise to significant public outcry for government to take decisive measures to end GBV in all its forms.

The outreach included visits to families of recent victims of violence committed against women and girls as well as community engagements and dialogue with the interfaith sector to discuss cultural and religious harmful practices, the subjugation of women and girls, as well as confronting social norms and attitudes that sanction violence.

The outreach forms part of this year’s Social Development October Month programme under the theme: “Strengthening our response to recovery through DSD services”. It is also key to the implementation of the National Strategic Plan on Gender- Based Violence and Femicide ( 2019- 2024).

“Today we are here in Kwazulu- Natal to mourn with families that have experienced the scourge of GBV,” said Minister Zulu. “We are appealing to communities to work together in the fight against the brutal murder of women and children. We are here to stand in solidarity with the families who have buried their loved- ones because of GBV.

“We must use the same level of energy that we showed during the fight against the spread of the Covid- 19 to fight against GBV.”