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16 Days of Activism should not be a box-ticking exercise

By

Dear MyPE

The 16 Days of Activism for no violence against women and children drew to a close yesterday, but we must never lose sight of the fact that we should be active in the fight against this scourge, and the horrors of gender-based violence, every hour of the day and every day of the year.

There is no pause in women and children abuse; they are violated throughout the year. Therefore, there should not be a pause in the actions taken to put a stop to these atrocities!

We cannot fight this battle in only 16 days – it needs a concerted non-stop effort.

The uncaring ANC government views 16 Days of Activism as a mere box-ticking exercise. No meaningful long term plans are being implemented to safeguard our women and children.

Year after year the Government’s 16 Days of Activism programmes are announced with much fanfare, but still, violence against our women and children is sky-rocketing.

The majority of our women and children are being deprived of their constitutional rights to freedom and safety.

In the first quarter of 2020/21 the murder rate for women in the Eastern Cape increased by 17%, and in September 2020 it was reported in the media that crimes against children from 1 April to 30 June 2020 increased by 12.3% compared to the same period last year.

Our women and children are being raped and murdered. They are not safe in their homes. They are not safe in their communities.

DAWN in the Eastern Cape will never stop fighting to ensure that our women and children are safe. We will fight this battle every day of the year, for as long as it takes.

Enough is enough!

Regards

Cllr Georgina Faldtman
DA Women’s Network EC Provincial Chairperson

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