Springbok captain Siya Kolisi emphasised the need for South African men to be more vocal and hold each other accountable in the fight against gender-based violence at Friday’s captains media conference, reports Cape {town} Etc.
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As the Springboks gear up for their Rugby Championship match against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday, Kolisi addressed the media on Friday, which coincides with National Women’s Day in South Africa, and shared his stance on gender-based violence in the country, as reported by News24
‘I was raised by women – my grandmother and my aunt, and I know the amount of places they go to make sure we get what we need and make sure we’re looked after,’ said Kolisi.
‘Everybody knows my story and that I struggled getting food when I was young, but I actually never saw my grandmother eat, and I never saw her complain.
‘Women in the country are not safe and we as men are not doing enough. We’re not speaking enough about it and we’re not calling each other out enough.
‘A lot of us players are trying to do stuff through our foundations to combat gender-based violence, where I think we are No 1 in the world. We always talk about how much we love the women in our lives… but you don’t have to have women in your life. You just have to do your part as a man.’
Siya expressed his gratitude to women and shared a heartfelt message: ‘I just want to say thank you for everything that women do for us and happy Women’s Day. I hope it’s a special one and it should be like this every day. They should be celebrated because they go far beyond.’
The match kicks off at 6:45am and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
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Picture: Siya Kolisi / Facebook
