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Women, Peace and Security Initiatives: South Africa
In-Counry | International

In-Country

One Man Can Campaign
The One Man Can Campaign supports men and boys to take action to end domestic and sexual violence and to promote healthy, equitable relationships that men and women can enjoy - passionately, respectfully and fully.

The One Man Can Campaign promotes the idea that each individual has a role to play, that each can create a better, more equitable and more just world. At the same time, the campaign encourages men to work together with other men and with women to take action - to build a movement, to demand justice, to claim our rights and to change the world.

For more information, please click here

South African Development Community (SADC) And Gender 2005 Campaign
SADC Gender Unit, SADC Parliamentary Forum and Civil Society
August 2005
The SADC and Gender 2005 campaign is a civil society initiative in partnership with the SADC Gender Unit and the SADC Parliamentary Forum to raise the current target of women in decision-making from thirty to fifty percent, and to elevate the SADC Declaration on Gender and Development to a Protocol.For an overview of the campaign please see: http://www.genderlinks.org.za/attachment_view.php?pa_id=62
For a pdf version of “Missing the Mark? Audit of the SADC Declaration on Gender and Development - Women in Decision-Making,” please see: http://www.genderlinks.org.za/attachment_view.php?pa_id=82

Postcard Campaign for No Violence On Women, Children
South African Government
25 November - 10 December 2004
The government has called on all South Africans to pledge their support against the increasing violence on women and children in the country, launching the 16 Days of Activism's Postcard Pledge Campaign at the Athlone Post Office. The Postcard Pledge Campaign is part of the national 16 Days of Activism (25 Nov - 10 Dec) that focuses on increasing awareness of the negative impact of violence against women and children. The public has been urged to sign the 800 000 pledge postcards produced by the SA Post Office. The more pledges signed, the more money will be raised for organisations that support survivors of woman and child abuse. Transnet has committed to sponsor R1 for the first 250 000 signatures collected in this drive themed "Unite against woman and child abuse." South Africans have also been urged to wear white ribbons, during the period of the campaign. The postcards will be transported to Johannesburg where a team of volunteers will paste them onto the "Wall of Solidarity" on 25 November.

Men: SMS 'support' for women
Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa (PPASA) and Marketel
6 August 2004
PPASA's Men As Partners program is organizing a project to show that South African men have “respect for women and children, say no to violence, and protect the ones we love". South African men are being urged to show their support for the fight against abuse of women and children by sending an SMS during the month of August as part of an awareness-raising campaign. Men can show their support for the campaign by sending an SMS with the word SUPPORT to the number 35477. Callers will be sent a thank you message with the PPASA logo and a number to call for more information. The call will cost R3, and proceeds will go towards the Men As Partners (MAP) program, which works in a number of communities to change attitudes of men regarding domestic and sexual violence, HIV/Aids, relationships, communication and sexual and reproductive health in general. Over 72 years old, PPASA has mostly worked with women and young people in communities all over South Africa and believes that campaigns around sexual and reproductive health, HIV/Aids and gender violence needs to forcus on men just as much as, if not more than women. For more information, or to arrange MAP training, e-mail boitshepo.l@ppasa.org.za or visit the PPASA website.

The South African 50/50 by 2005 Campaign
Gender Advocacy Programme (GAP)
7th March 2004
The South African 50/50 by 2005 campaign was launched by GAP to achieve an equal representation of women in government, legislatures and political parties by the year 2005. The timing of the campaign could not be more favourable, as South Africa is heading for its third democratic general election in 2004 and local government elections in 2005. Following the campaign launch, GAP embarked on an intensive awareness raising strategy to introduce the campaign to South Africans and decision-makers in political parties, trade unions and women politicians. This was achieved through a media strategy involving special newsletters on women and leadership, posters, radio advertisements and a moving billboard in the days running up to National Women's Day on the 9th of August. Early next year, 50/50 partner organisations will host another event aimed at targeting civil society organisations, non-governmental and community-based organisations nationwide to develop joint strategies to take the campaign to every nook and cranny of the country. A roundtable with political parties is also in the pipeline. For more information on GAP's 50/50 campaign in South Africa, contact Women & Governance Project Co-ordinator Pumeza Qeqe at genap@sn.apc.org, visit their website or sign on to show your support.

Women’s Month in South Africa
Office of the Status of Women in the Presidency, other Govt. departments
6 August 2004
August has been set aside as Women's Month to celebrate and commemorate the contribution of women to the struggle for freedom in South Africa and the progress that has been made with regard to their empowerment. South African women will hold a special march to commemorate their freedom from and contribution to the apartheid struggle on August 9, 2004 - National Women's Day. The day also marks the 48th anniversary of the historic march of women to the Union buildings in 1956 in protest against pass laws that required Africans to carry a document on them to "prove" that they were allowed to enter areas reserved for white people under apartheid. Numerous local, national and provincial events have also been organised to celebrate the month, culminating with a Women's March at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on 31 August. The Office of the Status of Women in the Presidency and the Department of Arts and Culture have put together a Women's Concert and a Women's Caravan (a mobile information and service delivery truck) as part of the celebration. The caravan will exhibit the achievements of South African women since 1994, and provide services such as verification of marital status, registration of customary marriages, social grants services, polio vaccination, and services related to micro-credit and small business development. For more information about the 10 Years of Freedom celebrations, please click here.

Employment Rights: Women Farmers
War on Want is supporting a joint initiative of the Women on Farms Project, Labour Research Service and the Program for Land and Agrarian Studies (University of Cape Town), which aims to improve the working conditions and livelihoods of women farm workers by training them to monitor the employment practices of the farms they work on. Securing basic rights and adequate conditions of employment is problematic for all farm workers, but it is especially difficult for women farm workers because of widespread discrimination as well as the relative isolation of their employment. Click Here for more information on women in South Africa, or visit War On Want to learn about the Women's Farms Project.

International