Leaders from seven diverse faiths are uniting to combat gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in South Africa.
Organised by the Faith Action to End GBV Collective, faith scholars, activists, and leaders will convene in Benoni on November 16 to introduce a collective commitment statement, a significant move towards tangible and accountable efforts against GBVF.
Coordinator of We Will Speak Out SA and Secretariat of the Faith Action to End GBV Collective, Daniela Gennrich, says concrete steps must be taken to end GBV in both society and faith communities.
The campaign marks a significant step towards mobilising faith communities in the fight against gender-based violence, recognising the crucial role they play in reshaping societal norms and values for a more just and equal society.
Gennrich says the campaign aims to create a powerful movement committed to decisive action in eradicating GBVF.
The Faith Action to End GBV Collective, formed in 2020 in response to GBVF incidents during the COVID-19 lockdown and the launch of the National Strategic Plan on Gender-based Violence and Femicide (NSP on GBVF), is dedicated to addressing social ills and ending the pandemic of GBVF in the country.
Organisers say the role of the faith sector is to mobilise dignity, humanity, ubuntu, social justice and gender equality in the fight against GBVF and for social change.
