By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
10 December 2024- In her effort to combat Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), North west MEC for Social Development, Sussana Dantjie, embarked on GBV roadshow in Myra village, near Taung, to raise awareness.
Dantjie urged members of the community to confront social stigmas and offer support to survivors of GBV. She also encouraged community members to stop abusing and discriminating against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and intersex (LGBTIQ+) community because of their sexual preference as it is also considered GBV.
“Since COVID-19, Gender-Based Violence has risen and became a second pandemic. Let us not judge our LGBTIQ+ community, but accept and love them because they are our children and deserve to be taken care of.
“We plead with women to stop using their children as an excuse to stay in abusive relationships. A loving mother will not allow her children to witness her being abused as it is emotionally damaging them,” said Dantjie.
She further said the public should use the services of their social workers to get out of that abusive relationship. Dantjie added that there are safe houses that the government has built to accommodate and give counselling to victims of GBV.
“During our roadshows, we also introduced our new flagship programme dubbed, Re Thuse Re go Thuse that encourages community members to report their challenges to the department in order for them to get help.
“We distributed 100 food parcels to families facing undue hardships. Food parcels do not end poverty, but they are a means to help our people so that they do not go to bed hungry,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM) in the North West called for stronger partnerships against GBVF. Pastor Lesiba Kgwele, who is the Convenor of the MRM North West Interim said, the civil society led movement promoting the Charter of Positive Values.
“GBVF as a persistent pandemic that is insulated by male chauvinism, patriarchy, culture and religion. The limited involvement of civil society organisations, church and traditional leaders as well as Men and Youth organisations, undermines the objective of what is supposed to be an action driven mass campaign.
“The exclusion of civil society from implementation of government programmes contributes towards perpetuating atrocities and stereotypes that need to be overcome if respect for women’s rights and gender equality are to be entrenched,” he said.
Kgwele said the starting point should be narrowing the social distance and establishing genuine partnerships that will also assist to address the trust deficit that exists for meaningful and sustainable interventions. He appealed to the business sector to support initiatives and programmes aimed at enhancing sound family and community values.
The Guardian 