The Dobsonville Human Rights Advice Centre paralegal, Martha Chauke spoke about 16 Days of activism in detail on the Exclusive Mzansi Show, Hillbrow Radio’s CJN slot with Bongani.
The story
The 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children is an international awareness-raising campaign. It takes place every year from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to 10 December (International Human Rights Day). The period includes Universal Children’s Day and World AIDS Day.
South Africa adopted the campaign in 1998 as one of the intervention strategies towards creating a society free of violence. The campaign continues to raise awareness amongst South Africans about the negative impact of violence against women and children (VAW&C) on all members of the community.
Objectives of the campaign
- To attract all South Africans to be active participants in the fight to eradicate violence against women and children, hence the theme: “Count me in”.
- Expand accountability beyond the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster to include all government clusters and provinces.
- Combine technology, social media, the arts, journalism, religion, culture and customs, business and activism to draw attention to the many ways violence against women and children affects the lives of all people in all communities around the world.
- Ensure mass mobilisation of all communities to promote collective responsibility in the fight to eradicate violence against women and children.
- Encourage society to acknowledge that violence against women and children is not a government or criminal justice system problem, but a societal problem, and that failure to view it as such results in all efforts failing to eradicate this scourge in our communities.
- Emphasise the fact that the solution lies with all of us.
Violence takes many forms, for example:
- Physical violence in the form of domestic violence, terrible violent crime such as murder, robbery, rape and assault.
- Emotional violence and trauma at many levels caused by many factors. Women and children in their homes, at work, at schools, on our streets, in our communities suffer this form of violence for various reasons.
- Another terrible blight of our democracy is the violence of poverty, starvation, humiliation and degradation, especially against women and children. Poverty, inequality and unemployment are conditions under which violence thrives.
Where to get help?
Service contacts
SAPS Crime Stop
08600 10111
Gender-Based Violence Command Centre
0800 428428/0800 GBV GBV
STOP Gender Violence Helpline
0800 150 150/ *120*7867# from any cell phone
Childline- Report child abuse
0800 055 555
Elderly people helpline
0800 003 081
Family and Marriage Society of South Africa – Advice on family relationships
011 975 7107
Thuthuzela Care Centres-
012 8456136
Suicide Crisis Line
0800 567 567
Alcoholics Anonymous SA
0861 435 722 Substance Abuse Helpline 0800 121 314
Narcotics Anonymous SA
0839 00 69 62
Mental Health Information Line
0800 567 567
AIDS Helpline
0800 012 322 / 011 725 6710
National Anti-Corruption Hotline
0800 701 701
Disaster Operations Centre
080 911 4357
Crisis Line
0861 574747
National Crisis Line – Counselling Service
086 132 2322
Human Trafficking
08000 737 283 (08000 rescue) / 082 455 3664
SASSA- Grants enquiries
0800 60 10 11 or CPS 0800 60 01 60
SA National Council for Child Welfare
011 339 5741
Legal Aid South Africa
0800 110 110
Presidential hotline – Unresolved service delivery complaints
17737 (1 PRES)
National Anti-corruption Forum
0800 701 701
Cancer Association of South Africa
0800 22 66 22
Follow the conversation on social media: #16DaysOfActivism or #16DaysDialogues
Listen to Hillbrow Radio on www.hillbrowradio.co.za
