A PILOT programme aimed at fighting gender-based violence will be launched in Diepsloot, north of Jozi.
The suburb has one of the highest rates of violence against women in Mzansi.
Said Robyn Farrell, CEO of 1st for Women Insurance: “A responsive approach to addressing women abuse is critical.
“With this in mind, we’ll be launching a school-based learning programme at 20 early childhood development centres and five primary and high schools in and around Diepsloot.”
“The programme also includes a comprehensive community-based support programme for survivors of abuse - from trauma to prosecution,” said Robyn Farrell, the CEO of 1st for Women insurance. The insurance company joined forces with the United Nations Women and the Department of Women, Youth and Disabilities to help launch the campaign.
Farrell was speaking at the official launch of 365 Days of Activism at the Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel in Johannesburg on Tuesday. “I hang my head in shame every time there’s another murder, another rape in our country.
“It’s been a tsunami of shame and enough is enough,” Farrell said.
Executive director of the United Nations Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, said: “As we end 16 days of activism, I concur that we’re not stopping the work for 365 days. We commit to work even harder because every day a woman dies. So who’re we to rest?”
“In developing our new strategy, we turned to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030 (SDG), Africa’s Agenda 2063, South Africa’s national development plan and Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework,” she said. The incidents of violence in 2019 alone prompted the insurance company to re-evaluate the foundation’s approach to fighting women abuse. A national roll-out will be considered following the implementation of the pilot in Diepsloot. Said Farrell: “This programme aims to build self-esteem and create physical alertness and body-consciousness training for girls.
“And there’s a programme for boys that focuses on training and equipping them with necessary social courage to challenge cultural norms that condone violence against women and girls.
“It intervenes when girls and women are being abused.”
A national rollout will be considered following the implementation of the pilot progamme.
“Sixteen days isn’t enough. Enough is enough,” she said.
“I have no doubt that we all believe this to be true.” – NEWS24
