“Our hope was and still is for the Summit to have been a platform where stakeholders could reflect on progress made, lessons learned, and clearly identify areas that need to be strengthened as we collectively seek solutions to the GBVF epidemic in South Africa.”
photo by: Thando Gazide- DWYPD
Hazel: It is wonderful that we are all working to end GBV and create capacity
Aleta: Evidence demonstrates that the presence of a strong and autonomous feminist movement is a critical factor to drive policy change in ending violence against women and girls. Supporting and investing in strong, autonomous women’s rights organisations and feminist movements is key to ending violence against women and girls. For these reasons, our UNiTE Campaign theme for 2022 calls for more support for activism to prevent violence against women and girls (VAWG) and encourages everyone, in their own spaces, to be an activist against GBVF. The UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women campaign (UNiTE), is a multi-year effort aimed at preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls (VAWG) around the world. Managed by UN Women, UNiTE calls on governments, civil society, women’s organisations, young people, the private sector, the media, and the entire UN system to join forces in addressing the pandemic of violence against women and girls. Over the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV period, we’ll be collaborating with our partners in government, civil society, and the private sector to gather various groups of stakeholders to exchange solutions, listen to the lived realities of women and girls in different South African communities, and chart a way forward collectively.
and equality for women through capacitation and the creation of
Aleta: UN Women produces an impact stories series on stories from around the globe. The series illustrates the human impact of UN Women’s work across the world, often quoting the voices of survivors and highlighting the partnerships that make this possible. The stories share how we and our many partners are striding forward to realise a better world for women and girls — one of equality and empowerment because that is what we do and who we are, as a leader, mobiliser, convenor, and provider of programmes. opportunities. However, the efforts around amplifying the impact of GBV responses from a trauma-informed perspective are not as robust. What role is UN Women playing to address the seriousness of this? Hazel: We have the 16 Days of Activism against GBV coming up, what plans do you have to elevate the plight of GBV?
Dec 2022 | Collective Action Magazine
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