16 Days of activism is a world-wide awareness on gender based violence is a campaign that opposes violence against women and children. South Africa is rated the third highest place in the world when it comes to Gender Based Violence (GBV) and a first place in Africa. Domestic violence being the most common type of gender based violence in the country. The research shows that the three contributing factors that led to gender based violence are hunger, harmful gender norms and war and conflict that women find themselves to be a cause of victims. South Africa is one of the countries that celebrates 16 days of gender based violence to empower women and children and also to commemorate fallen victims due gender based violence in the country. The 16 days of Gender Based Violence starts on the 25 November 2023 until the 10th December 2023.
Women for change results demonstrate the results taken on 27 February 2022 that in South Africa, 1101 women and 319 children were murdered in those three months. In total, 7555 people were killed daily between October and December 2022. 12419 rape cases were reported at the police, showing an increase of 9, 8% compared to the same period in 2021. https://womenforchange.co.za. The stats show that there is a need for 16 days of activism against gender based violence because women and children are the victims of GBV crime in our societies that we live in.
Rural Women’s Assembly has a roadshow of 16 days of activism of no violence against women and children across the country. Women in most times found themselves in raising their children in a toxic environment because of self-pity reasons. In most cases women do not put themselves first, they always think of what other people would do should they walk out of a toxic relationship no matter how dangerous their lives are. Sisters from Rural Women Assembly do reach out to vulnerable women and children by having Gender Based Violence dialogues in our communities where they invite women and children to share their experiences and knowledge about domestic violence. According to Sowetan Live on 01 November 2022 showed the results that Eastern Cape has emerged as the leading province with cases of gender based violence. Women are also affected by economic vulnerability meaning they have the highest unemployment rate which leads to higher levels of poverty.
The statistics show that African Black Women are the most vulnerable with an unemployment rate of over 30%. This is the reason why sisters from Rural Women’s Assembly continue to empower women to start being involved in Agroecology to reduce the number of unemployment in women. Women are the ones that look after their families and they are the ones that worked the land to reduce poverty. When women show the interest in fighting economic vulnerability it will reduce the stats of women and children being abused every day in our country.
The Rural Women’s Assembly continues to advocate for women and children’s rights that are being violated. Women play a significant role in society as well as in the household. Men are expected to be the ones that protect women be it in church, home, workplace etc. The 16 days of activism for no gender based violence is to raise awareness campaigns that women and children have equal rights as men to live freely in our societies and that they are human too. We need to decrease the statistics that keep on rising on GBV or the world will keep losing more women and children. Rural Women’s Assembly South Africa SAYS NO TO GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
