CAPE TOWN, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The South African government on Thursday urged traditional leaders to help curb rising gender-based violence (GBV).

Traditional Leaders should actively debunk myths that are erroneously linked to culture, and are used to perpetuate incidents of gender-based violence, said Bathabile Dlamini, Minister of Women in the Presidency.

Dlamini was speaking during a dialogue with traditional leaders in Cape Town on behalf of the government on ways to curb GBV.

The dialogue stemmed from President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent suggestion to make the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence a 365-day campaign. Every year, South Africa launches 16 Days of Activism against GBV.

GBV is "a critical issue facing our communities," Dlamini said.

In recent years, South Africa has seen increased incidence of gender-based violence, mainly against women and girls. According to the latest official statistics, 70,813 South African women experienced sexual offenses in 2016/2017, as compared to 31,665 in 2015/2016, a more than 100-percent increase.

Many women, young and old, rich and poor, famous and not so famous, experience abuse in South Africa, Dlamini said, adding that violence against women cuts across all races, including class groups.

"Cultural beliefs are being twisted to give rise to patriarchal idea in which men must dominate women and women must live only to serve men," she said.

Traditional leaders, as custodians of culture, are ideally placed within communities to expose myths around patriarchy and notions of ownership over the bodies of women that continue to persist, the minister said.

South Africans have the freedom and constitutional rights to practice traditional and cultural beliefs but they must also guard against the violation of human rights, said Dlamini.

The government has responded to the scourge of abuse, neglect and exploitation by establishing the Inter-Ministerial Committee to Combat Violence against Women and Children and launching a series of campaigns to raise awareness about the seriousness of the issue.

The government's engagements with various stakeholders continues to take place within communities across South Africa, according to Dlamini.

This partnership that has been created between the government and traditional leaders is key as it can be a good model to be tested in other countries that are faced with the scourge of GBV, Dlamini said.

South Africa, she said, will take the lessons learnt through this partnership to the United Nations during the 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women to be held at the United Nations headquarters in New York in March, she said.

"It is critical that we work together to ensure that we end the scourge of GBV so that our women and girls can also live in society free of violence and abuse," said Dlamini. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)