Government agencies and community organisations united at Allandale Correctional Centre in Paarl on Monday 24 November to launch the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) campaign, as South Africa grapples with what has been declared a national disaster.
The Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM) joined forces with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), South African Police Service, Department of Justice, Department of Social Development and various NPOs for the launch event.
The campaign, which runs until Wednesday 10 December, comes as statistics reveal South Africa’s GBV crisis continues to worsen, with victim numbers rising annually.
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“We are long past just spreading awareness of GBV,” said Advocate Cindy Abdol of the NPA. “It’s time for us to get the basics right and start in our own homes. We need to instil morals and values in our children again.”
She highlighted often-overlooked root causes including poverty and inadequate infrastructure development, which she described as breeding grounds for crime.
The event featured the Kickboxing Bully Busters, who encouraged all to join self-defence classes and take steps to empower and protect themselves.
Dr Elna von Schlicht, CWDM mayor, issued a strong call to action: “Let us unite. Let us speak out. Let us protect one another. And let us commit not for 16 days, but 365 days to ending GBV in our communities.”
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