By Lwazi Nongauza

Activators throughout South Africa used the 2018’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence  to drastically change recent statistics that indicate that at least three women are killed by their romantic partners each day while more than 18,000 children have been reported to being raped in the third quarter of this year alone.

The 2018’s 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign with the theme #HearMeToo, might have ended but the #365Days of Activism Campaign and #CountMeIn still continues. Activators throughout the country hosted awareness campaigns to continue to mobilize members of society to curb violence against women.

On the 3^rd to 6^th of December, Durban based Activator Nkosikhona Mpungose together with 7 INK Activators attended the program that focused on HIV, STI, TB prevention, behavioral change, domestic violence, GBV awareness and hygiene.

‘’The event achieved the intended goal to inform the youth on HIV and behavioral matters as well as GBV. The massive support from Africa Unite, community leaders and community health center afforded us a good opportunity to ensure that the -16 aged attendees received life changing information. We all went home singing the same tune that says dual protection is the key.’’ said Mpungose.

On World AIDS Day Alexander Itumeleng Mpaga hosted a dialogue about finding and implementing alternative ways of protecting youth from sexual harassment. The event was informed by his realization that despite having the entire month of August, Gender Based Violence campaign still continues.

‘’This injustice our sisters, mothers, daughters and children pervades purely because there is no political or social will to stop it. So we decided to use this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against GBV to launch a people’s driving social change movement that will continue to advocate for peaceful and welcoming world for vulnerable women and children’’ said Mpaga.

Phathuxolo Ndzimande Nofotho, Daniel Du Preez, Eddie Kim Lowen together with fifteen other Pretoria based Activators hosted an Imbizo that seeks to highlight and verify the nature of gender-based violence, to encouraged all gender based violence victims to share their stories, to raise awareness so other women and children could also be encouraged to speak out.

Other Activators used their social media platforms to join the American TV icon Oprah Winfrey in appealing South African government to adopt 365-day stunts because according to Oprah and them as a collective ‘’Women will save South Africa’’