Hon Chairperson, every year this House comes together and debates the 16 days of activism. While I believe that our discussions carry significant weight, I think it is time to stop and ask ourselves when we will move from talking, marching, meeting and reflecting to action.
We have an entire department, backed by a budget of approximately R143 million per year, to co-ordinate, facilitate and monitor the rights of vulnerable people, including women and children, and to make them a reality.
A number of significant pieces of legislation, including the Domestic Violence Act and the Children's Act, are in place, but every year we are faced with the same challenges.
Violence against women is often misinterpreted as being one- dimensional. We need to come together to change this perspective. Violence occurs on multiple levels - physical, emotional, financial and sexual - and women and children are faced with numerous simultaneous challenges, depending on individual circumstances.
The Department of Social Development is the primary department responsible for improving the livelihoods of vulnerable women and children. Their mandate is to provide comprehensive, integrated, sustainable and quality social development services.
The Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities should be taking the lead in promoting, facilitating, co-ordinating and monitoring the rights of the vulnerable people, including women and children, and making those rights a reality.
In conclusion, Chairperson, let us start joining hands with non- governmental organisations and civil society, who are rendering an invaluable service in the social welfare sector of this country, but are not being adequately resourced to carry out those services. This would go a long way in eliminating and preventing all forms of violence against women and girls. Thank you.