PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday that the drivers of gender-based violence are diverse and need a multi-faceted response that includes all sectors of society.
Ramaphosa was speaking at the presidential dialogue on gender based violence to mark the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign.
“To create a society in which women enjoy safety, dignity and respect it is first and foremost our own attitudes that must change,” said Ramaphosa.
“We must reclaim that most cherished of values to us as Africans, that we are our brother’s and sister’s keeper. And yet, as I have said, ending gender-based violence is also highly complex.”
Over the next five days, the South African flag will be at half-mast as a sign of the government’s pain and sorrow at the loss of men and women to COVID-19 and to gender-based violence.
Ramaphosa dedicated the most recent edition of his weekly newsletter to highlighting the impact that gender-based violence (GBV) has on the country.
The global campaign starts this week and will bring awareness to an international crisis that needs to be eradicated.
Earlier this month, the president called for a national period of mourning to commemorate the lives lost to GBV and COVID-19 for this year’s 16 Days of Activism campaign.
On Monday he also used his newsletter to highlight the importance of the campaign and note the ways in which GBV affects the country.
On Wednesday, Ramaphosa reiterated that the rights of women and children are inalienable, and must be both upheld and enforced.
“We all share the view that the economic inclusion of women is critical to their independence and self-reliance and necessary to decrease their vulnerability to violence,” said Ramaphosa.
“The fight to end gender-based violence is both simple and highly complex. It is simple because violence against women and children can be brought to an immediate end if every man makes a conscious decision never to harm a woman or a child – and lives by that decision.”
“But we know that the path to that point is not straightforward. We know it is chauvinistic and sexist attitudes that lead men to believe they are superior to their mothers, their wives and partners and their daughters.”
“These attitudes are driving the abuse of women, whether they are young or old, black or white, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, atheist, rural or urban, gender conforming or non-gender conforming.”
(SOURCE: INSIDE POLITICS)
