Brand South Africa reiterates the call to fight against the abuse of women and child with a campaign #IAM and continuously aims to encourage all South Africans to play their part towards progressive change, that promotes a free and fair society for all to live in.
“This 16 day of activism against women and children abuse has reached unacceptable levels in Gauteng and South Africa as a whole” said, Gauteng Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane at the launch of the annual 16 Days of Activism campaign.
The theme #HearMeToo follows from the United Nations Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women Campaign (UNiTE), which calls for global action to increase awareness, galvanise advocacy efforts and share of knowledge and innovations.
The objectives of the 16 Days Campaign are to:
- Encourage all South Africans to be active participants in the fight to eradicate violence against women and children, hence the theme: Count me in.
- Expand accountability beyond the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster to include all government clusters and provinces.
- Combine technology, social media, the arts, journalism, religion, culture and customs, business and activism to draw attention to the many ways violence against women and children affects the lives of all people in all communities around the world.
- Ensure mass mobilisation of all communities to promote collective responsibility in the fight to eradicate violence against women and children.
- Encourage society to acknowledge that violence against women and children is NOT a government or criminal justice system problem, but a societal problem, and that failure to view it as such results in all efforts failing to eradicate this scourge in our communities.
- Emphasise the fact that the solution lies with all of us.
Brand South Africa reiterates the call to fight against the abuse of women and child with a campaign #IAM. The campaign is aimed to engage men to break the silence against sexual and gender-based violence in the country and drive this to be a reality for all.
“We have recently seen men uniting in one voice to break the silence and showing unity in the fight for protecting women and children, for instance the #NOTINMYNAME movement. We commend these men for taking charge. This is why Brand South Africa found it important to support this campaign and charge men with the responsibility of their role in protecting their loved ones, hence the #IAM campaign”, said Brand South Africa’s General Manager for Marketing, Ms Sithembile Ntombela
The campaign calls on men of diverse ethnicity to participate. Filmed in black t-shirts, wearing red lipstick with the words #IAM highlighting their role of protecting women and children.
“This campaign does not start nor end during the 16 Days of Activism against gender based violence, it is an everyday reality that we need to face and mobilize community members, men and women to take a stand and report, stop abuse whether it is emotionally, physically or sexually. Let us all have a voice against this social ill and construct a nation that is peaceful and unified” adds Ms Ntombela.
Call the Stop Gender-Based Violence helpline (0800 150 150).
