The Eastern Cape government has identified substance abuse as one of the main drivers of gender-based violence (GBV) in the province.
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane has launched a provincial campaign of 16 days of activism against women and children in Alexandria.
Mabuyane says this year’s campaign was launched in Sarah Baartman Municipality because of the increasing number of wildebeest cases in the area. He says substance abuse played a role in most cases.
“We must work to eradicate the drug problem in our communities, as well as alcohol abuse. Now every little kid, if you go to a party, that party can’t be a party without alcohol. So we’re really saying that abuse is part of the problem. We see many such incidents on weekends, happy times and they happen in our homes. It shows that there is something very wrong with our families.”
EC government launches 16 days of activism campaign:
Meanwhile, the Minister of the Presidency for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, is urging all women to take up entrepreneurship to support themselves instead of relying on abusive partners.
Mashabane was speaking at the launch of the 16 Days of Activism campaign at the Johannesburg Exhibition Center in Nasrec. This year’s campaign is aimed at expanding social and economic opportunities for women.
The goal is to break the bonds of economic dependence of women who are forced to remain in abusive relationships. Mashabane emphasized that it is vital for women not to be financially dependent on their partners.
“Women on November 25 in the coming days should focus on the fight against gender-based violence and femicide in this way, making exhibitions. Business exhibition. Let’s teach and work with women to feed themselves and expose themselves to self-employment so that if it doesn’t work, they’ll leave.”
16 days | Expo will launch a campaign to end violence against women and children
Reporting by SABC News Reporter: Sashin Naidu
