President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) a national disaster.
Ramaphosa made the announcement when he was delivering the
keynote address at the closing ceremony of the G20 Social Summit at the
Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Ekurhuleni, on Thursday.
He urged governments, communities, and social partners to
intensify efforts to combat GBVF, empower women and youth, and strengthen South
Africa’s health, education, and social systems.
“No society can thrive for as long as gender-based violence
and femicide continues and the agency of women is denied. The violence
perpetrated by men against women erodes the social fabric of nations. It
imposes a heavy burden that constrains development and weakens inclusive
growth.”
COURTESY: GBVF.orgRamaphosa stressed the need for extraordinary and
coordinated action, noting that “men and boys are critical partners in
transforming harmful norms and advancing gender justice.”
“They must be actively involved in challenging inherited
attitudes, power imbalances and social structures that normalise violence and
silence survivors. We have agreed, among all social partners, that we need to
take extraordinary and concerted action – using every means at our disposal –
to end this crisis.’’
The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional
Affairs Minister (CoGTA), said this action comes after a comprehensive
reassessment of earlier reports and updated submissions from state organs and
civil organisations.
“The classification calls on all organs of state to strengthen
their support to existing GBVF response structures, to fully implement their
contingency arrangements, and to ensure that all necessary mechanisms are
activated to enable the National Executive to manage the disaster effectively.”
Done By: Shaneca Cupido
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