16 Days of Peace

The least safe place in Southern Africa is the place that is meant to be the safest- the home.

Southern Africa's rape statistics are ranked third highest in the world. With the advent of HIV AIDS, rape has become tantamount to a death penalty. One in three women are regularly battered. Widows are daily dispossessed of their property. Children, and especially the girl child, are daily abused: emotionally, physically and sexually. Schools are not safe. Even the workplace is not safe. Gender violence is a daily, costly and deadly reality for the people, and especially the women of our region.

Is there anything that can be done about it? More importantly is there anything you can do about it?

Yes! You can join the "16 Days of Peace Campaign"

What is the 16 Days of Peace Campaign?

The campaign is a Southern African take on the internationally observed "16 Days of Activism on Gender Violence" spanning from 25 November- the “International Day of No Violence Against Women" to the 10 December- "International Human Rights Day."

The campaign began with training conducted by Gender Links, Women’s Media Watch and Women’s Net in conducting strategic communications in the Gauteng, Western Cape and Eastern Cape (South Africa) as well as regional workshop co-hosted by Women in Law Southern Africa in Lesotho. Well over 40 NGOs participated in the training and will be running a variety of campaigns on such diverse themes as male initiation, AZT for survivors of rape, bail for alleged rapists, gender violence and disability and the role of men- all under the umbrella of the Sixteen Days of Peace.

The campaign focuses on Peace, to reinforce the shared belief that all the participating organizations hold, that "a different world is possible". Inspired by the Alcoholics Anonymous concept of "one day at a time" the campaign seeks to declare a truce on gender violence during the 16 days then extend this to one year, to 365 days, to a lifetime.

IMAGINE IF FOR 16 DAYS THERE WERE NO, rape, sexual harassment battery, property grabbing, emotional abuse or any form of gender violence.

Imagine IT! Now take action!

What can you do?

1) Join an activity and be part of the solution.

During the 16 Days of Peace, in three provinces of South Africa, namely, Gauteng, Eastern Cape and the Western Cape as well as regionally in Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Botswana the collaborating organizations will conduct a number of activities to raise awareness on gender violence, including:

- Marches

- Launches of publications on information about Gender Violence

- Cultural activities such as drama and poetry readings

- Sport activities

- And many more!

A calendar of events detailing all the campaign activities per province and per organisation will be posted on the Gender Links website on www.genderlinks.org.za visit our site and find out more.

2) Sign the peace pledge

You can also on the same site sign a Pledge committing yourself to 16 days of no gender violence.

3) Join our online training on covering gender violence in the media

"Education involves not only reading the word, but also reading the world. This involves the development and formation of critical consciousness which allows people to question the nature of their historical and social situation—to read their world—with the goal of acting as subjects in the creation of a democratic society " Paulo Friere: Pedagogy of the Oppressed.

We have created space on our site to interact with communicators, and journalists who have participated in our training sessions, both provincially and regionally and take this opportunity to invite all who are interested in reading and writing a different world to join our online training.

The training will run from 11 November to 10 December. Each week, a topic will be posted on the list and questions raised. Experts and participants will contribute their views. A facilitator will summarise the discussions at the end of the week.

These summaries will be posted on our site and can be accessed as resource material by all interested in being part of a whole that is working towards a society free of gender violence.

4) Support the campaign from wherever you are:

Even if you cannot be with us you can still be part of this campaign. An Internet based campaign will run concurrently to the actual campaign.

Visit our site www.genderlinks.org.za and:

- Share your thoughts with us on the various subjects we will have up for discussion on a daily basis.

- Send us your poetic expressions and comments

- Sign the memorial wall for loved ones who lost their lives to gender violence

- Take part in the polls we will have and respond to questions we will put up on a regular basis.

- For more information on the Campaign, write to [email protected]

- For more information on Online training write to [email protected]

- To let us know what you are doing during the 16 Days of Peace, write to us on [email protected]

PEACE IN OUR HOMES, PEACE IN OUR COUNTRY

The Sixteen Days of Peace campaign was initiated by Gender Links in partnership with Women’s Media Watch, Women’s Net, Women and Law in Southern Africa, Masimanyane, as well as the Network On Violence Against Women. It enjoys the support of over 40 NGO’s in the Southern Africa region. These are listed on the special “page” of our website that has been created for this event.

SEE YOU at www.genderlinks.org.za