The United Nations marked the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence from November 25 to December 10, 2021. We at Cape {town} Etc will be using our platform to raise awareness over this period.
“Gender-based violence and femicide is not a secondary priority. It is not a women’s issue. Gender-based violence is overwhelmingly and unequivocally a human rights issue.” – President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Should you wish to contribute, share your story, advise or educate, kindly send us an email at [email protected].
Day 4: Incredible talks that shed a light on gender-based violence
There is an epidemic in South Africa. One that reverberates throughout our nation as women cower in fear. South Africa has one of the highest rates of violence against women and girls in the world, a sombre fact that has been labelled: “a war against women and children.”
This “war” has only been exasperated by the COVID-19 pandemic as the trauma of men places its focus on women. According to Dr Eve, a trained couple and sex therapist with her own private practice and an acclaimed author states that there is a “collective trauma around women” too. This trauma stems back to colonialism, apartheid, and patriarchy and manifests as a sense of anxiety and tension as women walk around with a certain level of aggression.
An unsurprising fact when one considers the emotional, physical and sexual abuse that women have suffered at the hands of men. There are countless women (and men) doing their part to quell this epidemic, offering crucial information and enlightening a few along the way.
With this in mind, we’re sharing a few empowering talks that shed a light on gender-based violence in South Africa and around the world.
Dr. Sindiwe Magona, Dr. Eve and Shimmy Isaacs | Decade of Womxn | TEDxCapeTown
Violence Against Women and Girls: Let’s Reframe This Pandemic | Alice Han | TEDxBeaconStreet
Violence against women—it’s a men’s issue | Jackson Katz | TEDxFiDiWomen
What’s the point? Small movements against sexual and gender-based violence | Angela Muruli | TEDxLSE
Why domestic violence victims don’t leave | Leslie Morgan Steiner
Let’s talk about violence against women | Lily Banda | TEDxLilongwe
Read More:
Day 3: How to be there for someone who’s been sexually assaulted
Picture: YouTube Screenshot