Mayor kicks off 16 Days of Activism campaign

Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza marked the start of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign on Monday by calling on active participation from society.

“Once more, we are called to drum up the support to fight off the pain and cruelty inflicted on many of our women and children.

“It remains a tragedy that we still have so many victims of GBV in SA. This situation is increasingly worsening, with the rising incidents of GBV and the continued abuse of children.”

The campaign is observed annually from November 25 to December 10.

“It is a traumatic time for many who must live with the history of being abused or those who still find themselves trapped in those horrific situations,” said Xhakaza.

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“These sharply focused 16 days must reignite the fire in all of us to take a stance from all our spaces and fight off any acts of GBV we come across.

“A call to action loudly speaks to this year’s national theme, ‘30 years of advancing collective action to end violence against women and children’. We must change how the rest of the world sees us as one of the most violent countries towards its most vulnerable people.

“We must ensure our children and women live in safe communities and have safe spaces available to them by reporting any acts of violence we witness and by offering a helping hand to those abused.

“In our collective pursuit of a society free from GBV, it is imperative that we embody courage on behalf of our children and female counterparts and assertively address any injustices we encounter.

“Let us cultivate a culture of advocacy where each of us is a champion for positive change in our communities. United in our efforts, we become stalwart defenders of the voiceless, fostering an environment where dignity, justice, equity and respect prevail for all.”

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