North West to host GBVF summit

The North West government will host a Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) summit, in Mahikeng on Friday.

It is a build-up to the second Presidential GBVF Summit, to be held next month.

According to the Office of the North West Premier, the summit is part of government’s ongoing efforts, to address gender-based violence in the province. The theme of the summit is ” Accountability, Acceleration and Amplification Now”.

Different stakeholders including, police, government departments, members of the LGBTQIA+ community and women formations, are expected to attend.

‘Critical challenge’

In September, stakeholders during a virtual engagement with the Multi-Party Women’s Caucus in Parliament said GBVF remained a critical challenge that faces our society.

The engagement took stock of the commitments that were made by various departments and civil society organisations last year to tackle GBVF. Various departments also committed to tackling the scourge

Departments and various organisations gave feedback on the implementation of some of the pillars in the National Strategic Plan to tackle GBVF. The first pillar relates to accountability, coordination and leadership.

The Communications and Digital Technologies Department said it had implemented various programmes to tackle gender-based violence.

Deputy Director-General for Governance Thulisile Manzini says, “As a department, we have implemented programmes with regard to GBV. There is also a need to expand these programmes to include matters of domestic violence and in this regard, we may need to review the financial resources available to do so.”

“And it’s something we have an opportunity for now as we are also busy with our APP to make sure that this is incorporated especially the financial part. And the implementing entities in the portfolio can play a role in assisting us to raise awareness on the existence of the Bill amongst citizens.”

In August, Minister of Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane pleaded with South Africa to end GBVF: