SOUTH AFRICA: SA Prompts World to do More for Abused Women

Date: 
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Source: 
BuaNews Online
Countries: 
Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Human Rights
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding

South Africa's Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Hlengiwe Mkhize, has called on countries to renew their commitment to projects aimed at women empowerment and justice.

Speaking at the coordination meeting organised by the Women's Justice and Empowerment Initiative in Kenya, Mkhize said the high-level gathering, which included representatives from other African countries, needed to send a message of hope to women across the continent.

"Our outcomes should ensure that future generations learn from our mistakes and vow never again to cushion this pandemic [of woman abuse]."

She stressed that gender-based violence could not be divorced from broader human rights struggles and that governments needed to step up their efforts in order to achieve success.

Mkhize said she was encouraged that key government officials and groups that rallied against sexual and gender-based violence were part of the discussions.

She added that she was eager to see the initiative have some impact on the socialisation of children and young adults, so that by the time they joined the working world, their attitudes would have already changed.

"It is crucial that jointly with men, we begin to find ways to create a mind shift and attitude change against patriarchy. I believe that by changing attitudes and inculcating the values of respect for others' human rights and dignity, as well as the support that results in the healing of survivors, we should win this battle," she said.

Patriarchy played a major role in promoting gender-based violence. As a result, the challenges of achieving gender equality, sustainable education and empowerment efforts had to be addressed before social cohesion could be realised, Mkhize noted.

She singled out illiteracy, poverty, rape and violence as some of the major challenges facing women that needed immediate attention.

Turning to South Africa, the deputy minister said government had set targets for reducing the number of rapes, with a major focus on social crime prevention, integrated law enforcement operations and a reduction in repeat offending, and had achieved some success so far.

A reduction in the number of rape cases and an increase in convictions had been noted in recent years. But the South African government was determined to do more.

"Measures aimed at combating trafficking of women and children have been stepped up with special attention paid to the strengthening of related investigations and prosecution of traffickers, studying the causes, influencing factors and trends, and commencing a law reform process to achieve an integrated and holistic legal framework," she said. - BuaNews