National Assembly:   28th October 2009 

DEBATE ON 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM FOR NO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN. GENDER BASED VIOLENCE DESTROYS COMMUNITIES

In describing liberalism, Alan Paton once said: "by liberalism I don't mean the creed of any party or any century. I mean a generosity of spirit, a tolerance of others, an attempt to comprehend otherness, a commitment to the rule of law, a high ideal of the worth and dignity of man, a repugnance of authoritarianism and a love of freedom."

Paton's words may have been uttered nearly half-a-century before our first democratic election, yet they evoke the spirit of humanity and tolerance which characterises our progressive Constitution and Bill of Rights.

It is with a sense of awe that one considers the success of our highly heterogeneous nation in internalising a sense of what it means to be South African over fourteen years since the dawn of democracy to our country. Moreover, we have made considerable progress in inculcating a human rights-based culture amongst our citizenry; one which forcibly speaks out against violence against women and children.

Yet, I am saddened to say today, as we debate 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, that even though we have been more vocal in our condemnation of violence against women and children, the truth is that very little progress has been made in halting violence against this section of our society.

South Africa is still home to high levels of violence against its women and children, despite a world-renowned Constitution and a legislative overhaul that safeguards women's rights.

Unlike other crimes, victims of sexual offences and domestic violence are often highly-stigmatised. Because far too many South Africans condone such violence, women often feel ashamed and remain silent. 

This leads to both rape and domestic violence being amongst the most-under-reported crimes in South Africa.

The abuse of our children has also become rife and endemic. I was shocked to read a report recently which said that the kidnapping and trafficking of children, child pornography and prostitution has become one of the biggest sources of revenue for gangs and syndicates in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.

These findings followed a survey conducted by Molo Songololo, a non-governmental organisation fighting against the abuse of children. 

The study, which looked at the trafficking of South African children for sexual purposes found that often they were forced into prostitution by parents, family friends, gangs, syndicates and brothel owners.

Girls between the ages of 12 and 16-years-old were the most vulnerable; and that they are being abducted in broad daylight at shopping centres, taxi ranks and schools.  Often the children are gang raped and forced into prostitution. And South Africa's greatest problem is that we do not have any laws against human trafficking. We must take note of these comments and take urgent action.

I often ask myself how do we as politicians, elected representatives of the people of South Africa, allow a situation to occur where criminals rob us of our children and turn them into slaves and prostitutes?

It is obvious that more needs to be done to ensure that the decisions taken here at Parliament and that the policy and plans that are implemented do have the desired effect and they actually benefit women and children in our country, who are in desperate need of help. But this will not be achieved through legislation and policy alone. A change in attitude and a greater commitment is needed by all South Africans, in all communities across South Africa, if gender equality and respect for children's rights are to be achieved.

Momentum needs to be built from grassroots level. Many of the stereotypes regarding the traditional roles of men and women are still prominent today and these will persist and be passed on to future generations unless a concerted effort is made to change them. At schools, both boys and girls must be treated as equals and given equal opportunities and at home, the actions of adults, and in particular men, must reflect the fact that men and women are equal.

The struggle for gender equality and children's rights in South Africa is a battle that is far from over. We must intensify our efforts and turn the tide against one of the most heinous crimes in the world - women and child abuse.

Let us all start by making a difference today.

I thank you.