Moving towards a non-violent society

The 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children is an annual international campaign that aims to create awareness among South Africans about the negative impact of violence in our society.

The campaign, which runs from 25 November to 10 December, coincides with International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November), International Human Rights Day (10 December), as well as World Aids day (1 December).

The objectives of the campaign are to rid our society of violence and to encourage all communities to collectively take action against violence.

“During the campaign we created awareness about abusive behavior and what to do if you should fall victim to abuse,” says SAPS Mahwelereng cluster commander Brigadier Ria Mkhabela. “We have no tolerance for violent behavior and will arrest those guilty of it.”

You can support the campaign by wearing a white ribbon during the 16-day period. A white ribbon is a symbol of peace and the commitment of the wearer to never commit or condone violence against women and children.

The Mahwelereng Victim Support Centre promotes educational campaigns, the staff mostly work with the Mahwelereng Police Station to offer more appropriate means of protection to victims of abuse.

"We should see every child in our community as our own child and should admonish them when we see that they are doing something that is not right. This means that we have to speak out when we know that our neighbour’s child is being neglected or abused,”says warrant officer Frans Mokoena, spokesperson for the Lephalale police.

“We have to teach our children to talk to us about what is going on in their lives and to trust their intuition when a situation doesn’t feel right. They should know the difference between being touched in a loving manner and being touched in an inappropriate way. The most important thing is that they should feel confident to speak out when they feel uncomfortable or are being abused,” Dr Susan Rothman Lyons, a traumatologist in Lephalale.

Seek help if you are emotionally, physically or sexually abusive to your partner and your children. Call the Stop Gender Based Violence helpline (0800 150 150).