Today, 28 November 2018, Dr Nomafrench Mbombo joined Young Women and Girls participants in Gugulethu at their #16daysofactivsm empowerment session, as part of the Woman of Worth program.
16 days of activism is a period where we stand up and say enough is enough. We raise awareness in our communities.
Gender-based violence has reached crisis levels, and failing to address this will mean that many more people will suffer the consequences.
Today, I joined Young Women from across Gugulethu, who are enthusiastic about these sessions as they are vital in the fight against gender based violence. This is a way in which young girls are empowered, and equipped to deal with this scourge of violence and abuse in our communities.
We have to join forces to combat the senseless abuse and killing of our innocent women and children. Safeguarding our communities is the number one priority in the Western Cape.
“As a Health Department, we have invested in the empowerment of the young women and girls as a remedy to fight the scourge of abuse. We want to focus especially on women who often fall victim to abuse; we want to empower them, and we are doing so by working together as government, civil society, and all relevant organisations to create an enabling environment for women to thrive” said Minister Mbombo
One aspect of the project launched in 2016, is gender based violence empowerment sessions that equip young women to deal with vulnerable situations.
Since the inception of this program, over 1500 people have successfully participated.
“I would like to encourage the broader public to be aware that violence against women and children is not a government or criminal justice system problem alone, but a societal problem. Failure to view it as such, lessens the impact of our collective efforts and “whole of society” response. Count me in! I commit myself to be an active participant in the fight against this abuse,” said Minister Mbombo.
Colleen Smart
Spokesperson for Minister Mbombo
Tel: 021 483 5862/ 072 825 3257
E-mail: colleen.smart@westerncape.gov.za