Say No To Gender-Based Violence!

There’s a saying attributed to Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings Upon Him): “The Condition of a Society depends on the Consciousness of Women.” And if we put that into the South African context or rather into a setting where women who live in townships such as the Cape Flats, Townships, in Eldorado Park, Soweto, Verulam and Umlazi, then a very bleak picture appears.

According to statistic reports, almost 1000 women have been murdered between July 1 and September 30, 2022, and more women were subsequently murdered during the past two months (October and November) and alongside these sad social developments, millions are living in squalid conditions because they all reside below the poverty line.

Despite their poor conditions there are women of conscience who strive to uplift themselves and their families out of poverty; there are women who stand up against gangsterism, drug pedlars and GBV. Many times, they are up against a brick wall as not only local police fail to protect them, but local government representatives use out-dated and inappropriate by-laws to deny them the right to earn a livelihood.

In Athlone’s Gatesville, for example, Informal traders who are mostly women that make efforts to sell their home-made products by wanting to put food on the tables, continue to be deprived of their rights to trade in open available competitive spaces. Our Constitution states that people should not be prevented from trading to provide a decent living for their families. Yet, the current system has scuttled their trading and livelihoods; instead of creating healthy environments for small informal traders and businesses, it has harmed and restricted them from addressing their basic wants and needs.

So, whilst the party laments these developments and practices, it wishes to commend the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) for rolling out job creation opportunities; these are for, among others, our women in clothing and textile business. It expresses its gratitude to the DSBD for its ongoing assistance to those who are unemployed;

in the case of KwaZulu-Natal’s Groutville, for example, it helped the community to start manufacturing peanut butter which they can sell.

It is a fact that unemployment is one of the contributing factors to GBV. As much as we focus on employment opportunities for women, we must not neglect in providing jobs for men as they have the responsibility and some obligation to provide for the family. In addition, together the women and men should bring about stability in our communities for this will be necessary if we want to remain a prosperous, healthy and conscious nation.

The party is thus committed not only during these 16 Days of Activism but all year round to serve all communities; it works with all stakeholders to stop GBV and this would be through, among others, the creation of work opportunities at all levels and in each of our communities across the country.

AL JAMA-AH Statement on 16 Days Activism Against GBV and Femicide Hon Ganief Hendricks
AL JAMA-AH Leader and Member of Parliament
02 December 2024