NW Gender Action Plan to help reduce sexual offences

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Pretoria - The North West Public Safety Department is in a process to develop a Provincial Gender Action Plan which intends reducing sexual offences by 7 percent to 10 percent.

Provincial MEC for Public Safety, Howard Yawa, committed his department to coordinate and finalise the plan by September next year.

He made the commitment on Wednesday at a provincial summit aimed at assessing the impact of the16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign.

"The process of development of the Provincial Gender Action Plan intended to assist reduce sexual offences by 7 percent to 10 percent as part of contact crimes, which will be evaluated on an annual basis," Yawa said.

Other key issues identified at the summit included the involvement of all key stakeholders to improve implementation of the Sexual Offences Act, Domestic Violence Act and all other policy prescripts that are intended to reduce gender violence.

Yawa said a five year plan will also to be developed to address continuous education of men on the effect that such violence has on women and children.

He further appealed for intensified partnership with civil society organisations including the progressive women movement, churches, faith based organisations, other women, men and children's rights groups to eliminate patriarchy and create a safe and secure environment for women and children.