By BAKANG MOKOTO
African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) intensifies a fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). This comes after an outcry from women across the country amid an increase on Gender-Based Violence cases against women and children recently.
The ANCWL president, Bathabile Dlamini embarked on a virtual consultative engagement with various branches in North West where she urged them to confront the scourge of GBV. She said the country is faced with two pandemics which are COVID-19 and GBV.
“We urge all ANCWL structures to take a lead in fighting challenges faced by women and the general society. We also appeal to women through ANCWL structures to occupy the centre stage while actualizing the ANC vision and bringing its service delivery programmes to the fore to address the GBV, food security, economic participation and education challenges.
“As the ANCWL, we will also emphasise more on the resolutions of the ANC and ANCWL NECs programmes addressing GBV, femicide and the abuse of children. Every branch of the ANC must work with women to identify and create awareness on cases of GBV in their locale. The ANCWL Provincial Executive Committee must capacitate structures including branch-based centres for improved ground service and outcomes on the challenges,” she said.
Dlamini added that all ANCWL branches need to establish women structures that will ensure that people receive social and economic relief grants during COVID-19 National Lockdown period.
“We call on women to regularly visit schools in the spirit of advocating for safety. Although we support the salvaging of the curriculum this year, we have the responsibility to fight for an environment that guarantees children’s safety and prioritise their lives and health first. The league is also mobilising communities for mass screening for the early detection of COVID-19 complications and infections.
“We need to strive for unity among women and show unwavering support for each other. Women must at all times give support and confront challenges facing them due to patriarchy, where women are deprived opportunities to lead, removed from positions and or not even deployed in strategic positions,” said Dlamini.
Meanwhile, ANCWL acting provincial secretary, Bitsa Lenkopane shared the same sentiments. Lenkopane said the ANCWL PEC has committed to actualise the branch submission made during the engagement with Dlamini. She said this will be incorporated into the league’s continuous programme that include awareness on COVID-19, GBV, Mayano Thursdays, Stakeholder Engagement, Economic and Psychological expert advice among others.
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