MINISTER ON GBVF AT JOZINI OUTREACH EVENT DURING THE 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM ON NO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN: DELIVERED – MEC MBALI SHINGA
Bahlali ndize la ndizolila nabantu nabantwana abahlukumezwayo kule ndawo yase Jozini. Namhlanje siqeda iintsuku ezilishumi elinanye siqale 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children.
The South African government runs a parallel campaign that includes issues relating to violence against children. The country first celebrated the 16 Days Campaign in 1999. The Sixteen Days campaign focuses primarily on generating an increased awareness of the negative impact of violence on women and children. My observation is that South Africans, men and women from various sectors, are coming out in numbers to demonstrate their commitment to ending violence against women and children and provide support to victims.
We have achieved the following to some degree:
• Raising of awareness on the plight of victims of about gender-based violence.
• Strengthening of local work in the fight against GBV and Femicide.
• Providing a platform for dialogue and strategy-sharing.
• Ensuring that government departments demonstrate commitment to implement the commitments made in national and international legal instruments.
• Demonstrating the solidarity of activists from various sectors in the fight against GBV and Femicide.
The Constitution of South Africa and the empowering legislation have recognized equality as one of the foundations for the country’s democracy. The South African Constitution paved the way for programs aimed at empowering victims of all acts of violence and brutality. Victims are not silenced but encouraged to speak out and report abuse. The South African society is encouraged to work together to empower and support all victims and actively contribute in the efforts to end the cycle of abuse in public and private spaces. The 16 Days of Activism campaign calls upon all South Africans to affirm a truce on violence against women and children and to make it a permanent one.
However, it is disturbing to report that despite all the efforts, the country is still plagued by high levels of Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF). This situation compelled women to stand up and voice their concerns through the #TheTotalShutdown in August 2018. It was on the 28th March 2019 when the President signed the Presidential Summit Declaration
against Gender Based Violence and Femicide. The priorities, as raised in the Presidential Declaration, included the drafting of the National Strategic Plan on Gender Based Violence and Femicide.
Bahlali singooMama baseMzantsi Afrika siphumile saya eOfisini kaMongameli wezwe ngomhla ka 29th November kulo nyaka, sisithi phantsi ngodlame kubantu besifazane nezingane, sibiza urhulumente ukuba abeke amalungelo abesifazane kwezophuhliso kwezomnotho.
As a department we have made significant progress in implementing programmes that address the basic needs of the majority of our people, including services to victims of violence and crime. However, this should not induce in us a feeling of complacency. We acknowledge and thank our many partners, and in particular the NGOs, CBOs and FBOs that form a crucial link in the chain of service delivery as implementing agents.
It is a known fact that the President of the country approved the National Strategic Plan on Gender Based Violence and Femicide (NSP-GBVF 2020 – 2030) in March 2020. The Strategy is aimed at ensuring a coordinated national response to the crisis of gender-based violence and femicide by the government of South Africa and the country as a whole. It is our responsibility as a country to ensure protection to survivors of gender based violence by creating an enabling environment through the provision of comprehensive, integrated and sustainable care and support services.
The DSD is leading on the implementation of Pillar Four (4): Response, Care, Support and Healing. The Pillar seeks to ensure that every survivor of Gender Based Violence (GBV) has access to
appropriate and sensitive response, care and support that facilitates immediate containment, medium to long term healing. It recognises that effective response, care and support is integral to healing and comprehensively working towards eradicating GBV in South Africa.
Let me proudly announce that the DSD has been heeding the call to implement the National Strategic Plan. I would therefore like to share the interventions that we have implemented as a department in response to issues of GBVF:
• The department initiated a National Emergency Response Team (NERT) to provide immediate and positive response in the form of psychosocial services following an incidence of trauma within seventy two (72) hours in order to lessen and diffuse the emotional impact of a traumatic experience and to prevent the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Established a partnership with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI). The partnership resulted in the allocation and handover of infrastructure/buildings for utilization as Khuseleka One Stop Centres (KOSC) and Shelters for women and children which is in response to the Care and Support Services to victims of GBV. The Khuseleka One Stop Centres serve to provide a place of refuge where victims of crime and violence can be offered a comprehensive and continuum package of services from one central point or under one roof by different stakeholders. Services are rendered by a multi-disciplinary team of law enforcement and social service providers. The number of KOSCs increased to four (4) while that of shelters increased to 144 in 48 of the country’s 52 Districts. Other state properties were identifies and will be refurbished and converted into KOSCs and shelters to cover the five provinces without KOSCs and the five (5) districts without shelters.
• Employed additional 200 Social Workers in all the provinces to assist in strengthening the workforce in the fight against the rising scourge of GBV during the COVID-19 period through a partnership with NEDLAC, the SACSSP and the Solidarity Fund. This was aimed at ensuring the provision of victim-centred, survivor focused and accessible quality services. The project scaled up the fight against GBVF in communities and some of these officials were placed in shelters and Victim Friendly Rooms (Police Stations) to offer psycho-social support services;
• Trained 100 GBVF Ambassadors and deployed them in the 30 GBVF Hotspot areas across the country. Our aim was to intensify our prevention activities in the thirty (30) GBV hotspot areas to turn-around the situation in the fight against GBV and Femicide.
• Strengthened social behavioural change programmes through education and awareness creation particularly programmes that are targeting men as agents of change. Initiatives such as the Men As Positive Role Models, Everyday Heroes Brand, Orange Day Campaign, Men’s Parliaments and Boy Assemblies, Asikhulume Interfaith and Pastors’ wives campaigns targeting interfaith Sector, Village to village targeting tribal/traditional authorities in dealing with gender stereotypes, harmful cultural practices and to promote the change in attitudes and behaviour. More than 2000 men were reached through Men’s Dialogues in the current Financial Year.
• Conducted integrated campaigns on GBVF, anti-substance abuse and crime prevention at institutions of Higher Learning with focus, amongst others, on young people in terms of social behaviour. A total of 40 campuses were visited and an estimate of 20 000 students were reached in the previous Financial Year.
• Developed the Intersectoral Shelter Policy for Victims of Crime and Violence. The aim of the policy is to integrate and promote intersectoral collaboration by bringing all the relevant stakeholders within the shelter component to play their respective roles for the benefit of the victims as well as ensuring standardization of services;
• Developed the Policy on Provision of Psychosocial Support Services. The aim of the Policy is to standardise the provision and quality of psychosocial services in the country for the benefit of victims including those in shelters;
• Developed the Victim Support Services Bill which is aimed at regulating services for victims of crime. The Bill seeks to uphold the rights of victims, including those of Gender Based Violence, and place them at the centre of the criminal justice process, affording them the same rights as the accused or perpetrators.
• Provide funding of CSOs for effective implementation of gender- based violence programmes. A total of 168 CSOs were been funded through the Criminal Assets Recovery Account (CARA);
• Developed the DSD Sector Funding Policy which is aimed at standardising funding of CSOs in the sector;
Community focussed initiatives are poised to allow multi-dimensional approaches to dealing with inequality and violence. In addition to interventions at community level, there is also a need for strengthening of the multi-sectoral interventions. The Criminal Justice System need the support of community members and CBOs whose responsibility is creation and maintenance of safe spaces in their respective communities.
As a department we remain committed to our programs and our partners. As we continue working to end violence by supporting victims, preventing abuse before it starts, we know we cannot do it alone. We all have a role in this together – as different departments, Civil Society Organisations, the private sector, rural and urban communities.
We cannot end Gender Based Violence and Femicide if we do not break the silence, overcome stigma and report cases to authorities for prompt response and follow-up. The protection and care for victims of GBV takes collective efforts, no institution or individual alone can eliminate this impediment to full rights, gender equality and development efforts.
Siyacela Iinkosi zethu ukuthi zisebenze nathi koluKhankaso lokulwa ukuhlukumezwa abantu besifazane nezingane, khulumani NoBaba neNtsizwa ukuthi maluphele udlame komama nengane.