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In collaboration with faith organisations that include the South African Council of Churches Sonke is launching a Men of Faith Against Gender-Based Violence campaign this Father’s Day.
More than 60% of South Africa’s children do not have a father to relate to, one in three women will be sexually attacked - possibly by a father or potential father. Likewise, two in five are beaten by their partners; and half will be sexually harassed at work. Worse still as we have been witnessing recently, one in 15 murdered by their partner.
Sonke, the Justice and Peace Commission along with various faith organisations, supported by UN Women South Africa Multi-Country Office and the entire United Nations family in South Africa, calls on men of faith to examine their role as fathers, brothers, uncles, husbands and partners this Father’s Day.
“To this end we have worked with partners on a pledge by men of faith, to do all in their power to end Gender Based Violence and Femicide”, said Rev. Bafana Khumalo Sonke’s Senior Strategic Advisor. “Today, we are meant to celebrate fathers, sadly this will be done with a lot of mixed emotions due to the war that men waged on women's bodies”.
Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana from the South African Council of Churches endorsed Sonke’s stance and said: “GBV is proving to be a silent pandemic accompanying the COVID-19. In this regard, the SACC National Church Leaders Weekly COVID Watch Meeting endorsed the campaign against GBV.
We are calling on all men to #ResistPatriarchy, change the narrative of what it means to be a man, and treat all women with dignity and respect.
We call on all men in our country to take a firm stand against GBV and femicide, and to commit to work as allies with all organisations that are working in this sector. As people of faith we need to lead from the front in all efforts that seek to heal our land of this scourge, support women and girls in all their endeavours as they seek to actualise their dreams of living in a violence free country.
For more information please contact:
- Bishop Malusi Mupulwana, SACC - [email protected] , +27 76 041 7244
- Reverend Bafana Khumalo, Sonke Gender Justice - [email protected], +27 82 578 4479
- Mafinyori Robert –Justice and Peace Commission - [email protected], +27 81 040 1638
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