Chairperson, the 16 days of activism campaign has been used to create a global movement, to raise awareness, to address policy and legal issues, to campaign for the protection of survivors of violence and to call for the elimination of all forms of gender violence. It has been successful in creating nationwide awareness of women and child abuse. However, the campaign should be more than just a series of marches, banners and speeches.
Izwe noma selizwile, uhulumeni kanye nathi sonke kuyadingeka ukuthi sakhe izinhlelo zokusiza labo abathintekile kanye nalezo zokusiza nalabo abanesifo sokuhlupha nokuhlukumeza abantu. [Even when the nation has been alerted, the government and all of us need to create programmes for helping those who are affected as well as those who suffer from the malaise of harassing and abusing people.]
Adequate funding and monitoring of this programme is required. Many departments may have gender policies and gender unions, but the importance and power assigned to these is minimal. The gender focal points often experience budgetary constraints.
Statistics by Childline state that one in three girls and one in five boys have been sexually molested. Tragically, most cases of abuse go unreported. The full extent remains unrecorded. The Constitution recognises gender equality as a cornerstone of South Africa's democracy, and government needs to use the 16 days of activism in conjunction with creating awareness about gender equality.
We, as Nadeco, also believe that amongst the programmes the government needs to create, emphasis has to be placed on issues of gender mainstreaming. Each department needs to place importance on its gender policies and programmes. This, as a result, will have a bearing in assisting in changing the behaviour and thinking of some of the males who have a problem, as well as those who have been brought up in families where subordination of women was the norm. Ngiyabonga. [Thank you.]