JOHANNESBURG non-profit organisation Rise-Up against Gender-Based Violence organised the Intersectional Womexn’s March against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) yesterday morning which started at the East London Museum and marched to the City Hall on Wednesday.
The march was part of a national effort which saw womexn and gender non-conforming people (GNC) from all across South Africa taking to the streets to protest against gender-based violence.
A statement sent by East London convenor Dr Rianna Oelofsen said that different sectors across the country contended that Women’s Day should not be a celebration, as every week they received multiple reports of women who had been brutally murdered, kidnapped or abused and there was no sense of urgency from the country’s leaders to find solutions to tackle the matter.
“What made the shut-down unique from all other marches that have taken place in East London, is the national buy-in from different organisations, sectors, and the media. The purpose of the shut-down is to demand that government takes charge and provides implementable resolutions and inclusive policies that speak to ongoing challenges faced by marginalised groups,” said Oelofsen.
A document containing a total of 24 demands was also handed over to provincial government officials at the the premier’s office in Bhisho.
The demands included: a strong message from the president acknowledging and condemning the high rate of GBV in the country; a commitment by parliament to never appoint individuals who have been accused of GBV, and the establishment of a comprehensive process to address and reduce GBV in SA.
