16 days of activism against women and child abuse
Miss Bachelorette SA Finalist, Ncumisa Madikane from Plettenberg Bay, launches 16 days of Activism against women and child abuse
It’s that time of the year where South Africa marks 16 days for no violence against women and child abuse. This is an international campaign that takes place annually from the 25th of November to the 10th of December.
The campaign seeks to galvanize action, raise awareness and honour those who are or have been victims of gender-based violence. Ultimately the campaign seeks to create and foster safer spaces for women and children, free from harm.
Over the last few months South Africa has been mired with protests over the issue of gender-based violence where activists and civil society were calling upon the government to be tough on those who abuse women and children, capacitate the police to deal effectively with this scourge, and that communities themselves must root out this culture.
In our part of the world, there have been a number of these events to mark the start of this campaign, but worth noting was the recent event hosted by Miss Bachelorette SA Finalist, Ncumisa Natasha Madikane in Kwano on the 23rd of November.
Hers is an interesting story, of courage and perseverance. Here is a young woman opening her heart out because she knows first-hand the cruel realities of gender-based violence.
One of the guest speakers was Nokuzola “Sis Noksie” Kolwapi, a member of the Plett Tourism Association Board. She made a clarion call to all those in attendance that if we don’t stand up for injustice if we don’t take men who abuse women to a task, our children will have no future.
She also appealed to the audience to leave toxic relationships; that women do not have to stay in a dangerous relationship for material gain and that they can be independent. Most notably that individuals have the power to make the world what they wish.
We give thanks to strong women like Ncumisa for speaking up, and for also being an ambassador of change and progress. One hopes that these conversations will herald new dawn where women and children are safer, happier and free.