The Masiphephe Network which focuses on strengthening collaboration with all stakeholders involved in local prevention and response to gender-based violence (GBV) in the three provinces of Gauteng, Mpumalanga and KZN, denounces the recent surge of GBV and femicide cases in South Africa.
In the past weeks, over 20 women and children have been raped or killed in the hands of men. While we mourn and grieve with and for our nation in the face of these terrible crimes, we call for an end to the continuing brutal killing and violation of women by our men.
Masiphephe Network calls upon all men to respect and value the lives and human dignity of girls and women in our communities.
The Masiphephe Network acknowledges the strong political will, commitment, and revamped efforts by the government to address GBV and Femicide. Recently, President Ramaphosa said, “if we are serious about ending these crimes, we cannot remain silent any longer. By looking away, by discouraging victims from laying charges, by shaming women for their lifestyle choices or their style of dress, we become complicit in these crimes”. We stand in support of the President’s statement and appeal to all South Africans to act against GBV by breaking the silence and reporting perpetrators of these atrocious crimes against humanity.
The Masiphephe Network fully supports the implementation of the recently released National Strategic Plan on GBV and Femicide (2020-2030). We urge government departments, civil society, and community members to support the urgent implementation of the NSPGBVF and scale up efforts to prevent and respond to GBV. In unity against GBV, let us use our moral conscience, willpower to work together; to be active forces for change in homes and communities, build strategic responses and integrated actions towards respect for the human rights and dignity of girls, women, and other marginalised populations in our communities.
Break the silence, call 0800 428 428 (GBV Command Centre) to report and get GBV support.
Masiphephe is a network of community-based gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response partners across three provinces in South Africa. We believe that GBV is the grave consequence of complex social and structural problems in our country and the world. Funded by the USAID, our programme encourages inclusive GBV interventions through behaviour change, building awareness and supportive multi-sectoral partnerships to shift the social norms of gender and GBV. For more information on the Masiphephe Network call Sakumzi Ntayiya at Centre for Communication Impact