Pretoria - South Africa should retain the high level of community awareness and effective law enforcement that prevented an increase in human trafficking and other forms of women and child abuse during the Soccer World Cup.
This was the message from Minister for Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities, Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya. She said information available suggests that the predicted upsurge in human trafficking and other forms of abuse never materialised.
To the contrary, the reports arising from the contingency measures put in place in all host provinces indicate that children who went missing during the World Cup were reconnected with their families.
"The experience of the 2010 Soccer World Cup indicates that it is possible to minimize the incidents of abuse through a combination of high community awareness, social cohesion and effective social and law enforcement services.
"We need to retain the same high level of law enforcement, solidarity and the spirit of Ubuntu demonstrated by our people during the World Cup," said Minister Mayende-Sibiya.
She said her department will use the building up to the 16 Days of Activism Campaign on No Violence against Women and Children to retain community awareness on issues of trafficking and abuse.
"We are taking this already successful campaign to even greater heights and it should begin to tackle the very sexist attitudes and beliefs that are underlying factors behind this high level of gender based violence," said Minister Mayende-Sibiya.
She said her department was also making sure that it reaches out to all women as part of the celebration of Women's Month seeking to address the various limitations that patriarchy affect their lives and limit their development.
"Our programme seeks to reach women of different social backgrounds in their localities. We have met young women from universities to discuss issues of education. We have gathered with women from various churches and prayed together for a society free of all forms of abuse of women and girls.
"On the big day itself (August 9), we gathered close to 30 000 women in East London where they received an address from the President. We have debated issues affecting women at national parliament and in provincial legislatures.
"We have met influential women in the private sector to discuss issues of glass ceiling put on women," Minister Mayende-Sibiya said.
