Public Service and Administration Deputy Minister Dr Chana Pilane-Majeke has engaged in a dialogue on gender-based violence with residents of Gugulethu in Western Cape.
The engagement was part of the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign.
The Deputy Minister used the strategic dialogue session to encourage survivors to speak out in order to break the silence and stigma attached to sexual abuse and gender-based violence.
According to the National Development Plan (NDP) in 2030, people living in South Africa should feel safe at home, school and at work, and that they enjoy a community life free of fear.
With only 12 years left before 2030, Pilane-Majeke said government wants women to walk freely in the streets and children to play safely outside.
“Gender-based violence has consequences for women and girls and their ability to achieve their potential in every sphere of social and productive life.
“Therefore in our view as government, gender-based violence, in all its forms, denies women and girls the opportunity to achieve equality and freedoms, as enshrined in the Constitution,” she said, adding that if this continues unabated, it will impede the nation’s ability to achieve its growth and development potential.
As envisioned in the NDP, Pilane-Majeke said an informed and active citizenry is critical towards totally eradicating the triple challenge of inequality, unemployment and poverty by 2030.
“The only way to win this scourge is for gender-based violence to be addressed head-on by government, religious and cultural bodies and society as a whole,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za
