The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] calls on its members, workers and all South Africans to support the campaign of 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence [GBV].

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an international annual campaign held on the 25 November until 10 December. This campaign is geared towards preventing and eliminating violence against women and children.

As NEHAWU, we want to reiterate our pledge against gender based violence, femicide, rape and violence directed at women and children. As such we pledge the following:

1. We will campaign for the establishment of gender based violence forums in workplaces.
2. Call for gender-based violence to be declared a national emergency.
3. Campaign for the building of capacity of the justice system to be able to assists victims in gathering evidence in rape cases and ensuring that rape and paediatric evidence collection kits are available at every police station.
4. Raising awareness about gender-based violence as a human rights issue at the local, national and international level.
5. Campaign to extend the 16 days of activism on no violence against women and children from 16 days to 365 days. The campaign will also include violence directed at the Lesbian Gay Transgender Bisexual Intersex Queer [LGTBIQ] community and speak to the issue of corrective rape as well.
6. Call for every police station to have at least one police officer who has extra training around rape and sexual violence
7. Establishing a clear link between local organisations and international work to end violence against women.
8. Providing a forum in which organisations can develop and share new and effective strategies.
9. Demonstrating the solidarity of women in our union against gender based violence.
10. Creating tools to pressure government to implement promises made to eliminate gender based violence against women.
11. Strengthening our work against violence on women

The persistent rise of violence and abuse directed against women and children must be condemned. We cannot continue as if things are normal. Our society must take a firm stand against this crisis of GBV. The government and law enforcement agencies need to be more resolute and decisively deal with perpetrators of gender-based violence and femicide. 

Lastly, as NEHAWU, we call on society to support the campaign of 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence. Let us unite and fight the scourge of gender based violence, femicide, rape and violence directed at women and children.

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Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat Zola Saphetha (General Secretary) at 082 558 5968; December Mavuso (Deputy General Secretary) at 082 558 5969; Lwazi Nkolonzi (NEHAWU National Spokesperson) at 081 558 2335 or email: lwazin@nehawu.org.za