In recognition of the 16 days of no violence against women and children, the City calls for global action to increase awareness, galvanise advocacy efforts, and share knowledge and innovations to prevent and end violence against women and children.
The campaign takes place every year from 25 November to 10 December. This campaign was adopted in 1998 as one of the strategies towards creating a society free of violence.
Member of Mayoral Committee for Group Corporate and Shared Services in the City of Johannesburg Cllr Ntombi Khumalo, whose portfolio is responsible for employees in the City, said women around the world experience physical and/or sexual violence on a daily basis, be it at home, society or the workplace.
MMC Khumalo said South Africa was not immune to violence against women and children, hence the need by society and various organisations to play a meaningful role to influence change on how both males and females see and perceive violence.
“In recent years, the voices of survivors and activists, through campaigns such as #MeToo, #NotOneMore, #NoExcuse, #NotInMyName, and others, have put the spotlight on the issue of sexual violence and have reached a crescendo that cannot be silenced or ignored anymore.
“We all need to be intolerable to any form of violence, period. We need the law to be intolerant to these violent acts. Heavy consequences should be non-negotiable. I want to challenge everybody to do their part towards the change we want to see of no violence against women, children and the most vulnerable in our communities,” said MMC Khumalo.
According to Aurie Kwatsha, Deputy Director: Employment Equity And Diversity Management in the Group Human Capital Management unit, the City has partnered with Positive Flames South Africa, an organisation dealing with Gender Based Violence (GBV) to sensitise, educate and create awareness on GBV to the employees of the City during the 16 days of Activism against Violence on Women and Children campaign. These organisations will provide the City with prominent speakers at no cost to the City.
She said the sessions will be rolled out in all seven regions of the City to raise awareness about the negative impact that violence towards women and children has on our society.
These sessions will take place between 9am and 11am at Ivory Park North Hall, 8712 Makhaya Drive, Ivory Park - 03 December 2019, Danie van Zyl Recreation Centre, Cnr Plantation & Rex streets, Newlands - 29 November 2019, Roodepoort City Hall, Cnr Dieperink & Berlandina streets - 06 December 2019, Kopanong Hall, 2332 Luthuli Street, Dobsonville - 02 December 2019, Diepkloof Hall, Eden Drive, Zone 3, Diepkloof - 02 December 2019, East Bank Hall, Cnr Springbok & Impala streets, Alexander - 04 December 2019, Braamfontein Recreation Centre, Cnr Harrison & Smit streets, Braamfontein - 05 December 2019, and Lenasia Civic Centre, Cnr Rose Avenue & Eland Street, Lenasia - 10 December 2019.
