Chairperson, around the world, as many as one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or abused in some other way, most often by someone she knows, including by her husband or another family member. One woman in four has been abused during pregnancy. Violence against women and children both violates and nullifies the enjoyment by women and children of their human rights and fundamental freedoms. It reflects and reinforces inequality between men and women and compromises the health, security, dignity and autonomy of its victims.
Violence against women has been called the most pervasive, yet least recognised violation of human rights in the world. In South Africa, three women are killed by their intimate partners every day. Yes, every day a woman is raped every seventeen seconds, yet only one out of nine reports the incident. The MF strongly believes that, unless we break the silence, criminals will be getting away in broad daylight. This kind of barbaric behaviour is unacceptable and must be dealt with decisively, as only a dismal 14% of the perpetrators are convicted.
We, as a country and society, need to tackle the scourge head-on. As Gandhi once said, if you have to wage a war for world peace, you have to start with the women and children of your land. Whilst the notion is that all men are not the same, only one man in about 250 000 will speak out against rape.
The gruesome gang rape and torture of Jyoti Singh Pandey, a medical student from New Delhi in India, shocked the world. We are also subjected to a wave of headlines on violence against women and children. Seventeen-year-old Anene Booysen's rape and murder was devastating and inhumane, an act that culminated in the biggest global campaign the world has ever witnessed. The MF strongly believes that we must take these perpetrators, throw them in jail, and then throw the keys into the ocean. We must consider more stringent laws that are more favourable to the protection, safety and security of women and children.
It is time for the whole country to rise up against the pandemic of rape and murder. Let us not forget that it is the responsibility of everyone who breathes South African air and lives on South African soil to fight this scourge. I am reminded of the prophetic and wise words in the Indian language, "Matha, Pitha, Guru, Deivum", which means that your mother is your first human god. Let us strive to build on the spirit of brotherhood and give true meaning to the words that my mother and child is yours and vice versa.
It is time we put an end to the killings of our elderly. Recently, a 69- year-old pensioner living in a wood-and-iron building in Ottawa, KwaZulu- Natal, was stabbed three times, resulting in her death. It is time to rise up; it is time for action. We need to fight this war together, committing ourselves to addressing the social challenges that prevail amongst communities so that we can ultimately deliver a safer environment for the women and children of our beautiful land. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]