Date: 22/11/2004
Title: Gillwald: 16 Days of Activism media briefing
ADDRESS BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MS CHERYL GILLWALD (MP), AT THE 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM MEDIA BRIEFING, Alexandra Township, Johannesburg
Programme Director,
Comrades and Friends,
Ladies and gentlemen.
I would like to welcome all the members of the Media, who are the focus of our attention today.
As we approach the launch of this year’s 16 Days of Activism Campaign we must remind ourselves that over the last decade, the promotion and protection of human rights has become integral to Government’s long term development plan for South Africa and her people. And, if our understanding is that women rights are human rights, then mainstreaming gender is recognised as being central to the sustainable development strategies and programmes that government has set in place of a new and inclusive way forward.
Quite apart form the moral imperatives for supporting the campaign; this connection between violence and development is incontrovertible: societies that experience high levels of violence almost inevitably suffer from underdevelopment. The presence of violence – even just a threat of violence – reduces people’s chances of achieving their full human potential – a right guaranteed in our Bill of Rights.
The connection between crime and poverty is well established. But more significant perhaps although less often mentioned, is the connection between poverty and vulnerability to crime. Poor women and children are more likely to be victimised because they enjoy fewer protection, less privacy and fewer resources. Similarly, their resilience in the face of victimisation is considerably less and they are less likely to get the necessary assistance to overcome it.
Interventions that provide protection for children and the many care givers who sustain them are not only fundamental to our crime prevention strategy – these interventions are indispensable to the long term development of this country’s people.
The fact that despite the slew of enabling and empowering legislation that has been passes since 1994, women continue to face marginalisation and discrimination in their homes, communities and workplaces. This campaign will attempt to expose the many faces of violence and explode the myths and stereotypes that determine the attitudes and behaviours that give rise to aggressive and violent behaviour.
While we have much to celebrate in terms of progress made since 1994, much remains to be done. We all – every woman and man in this country – must build on this progress.
The experiences of women in this country and globally, continue to demonstrate more than ever, why legislation alone is not enough to create change – why governments, international bodies, NGOs and organisations are vitally relevant to the transformation process, and more particularly to this campaign. Not only the laws need to change – we need to change the structures and cultures within which the law operates. We must change attitudes and behaviour through awareness and education. We must remain true to the vision of a better world for women and men by staying focused on the problem women face – and working creatively to solve them.
The low status of women in South Africa is evident in every aspect of society – and is inextricably linked to violence in society in general. Thus, the exposure and eradication of violence should be tackled in conjunction with gender oppression as a whole. Transformation of the CJS is central to the identification and development of such solutions in South Africa.
It is interesting to note that while young men commit the overwhelming majority of violent crimes, they are also most vulnerable to violent victimisation. This is quite logical- young men engage in risky behaviour and they are more likely to be in the presence of alcohol, drugs and other elements that help spark violence.
In our paternalistic society, we don’t encourage male victims to recognise themselves as such. “Cowboys don’t cry” remains central to our notion of manhood. If young men are not allowed or encouraged to deal with their own issues as victims, it is difficult to persuade them to consider the needs of victims at all. And this hols true to our service providers – in the police, the courts, our prisons and indeed our society as a whole. It is unhelpful and inaccurate to cast all men as the perpetual enemies of women. It also alienates all those good men who are not proponents or perpetrators of violence. Rather this campaign will attempt to convince men of the essential and positive role they have to play in this eradication of this form of abuse.
We would like to remind all these good men – and indeed all South Africans of Edmund Burke’s stark reminder of the dangers of apathy on this matter:
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”
Issued by: Ministry of Correctional Services
22 November 2004
Title: Gillwald: 16 Days of Activism media briefing
ADDRESS BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MS CHERYL GILLWALD (MP), AT THE 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM MEDIA BRIEFING, Alexandra Township, Johannesburg
Programme Director,
Comrades and Friends,
Ladies and gentlemen.
I would like to welcome all the members of the Media, who are the focus of our attention today.
As we approach the launch of this year’s 16 Days of Activism Campaign we must remind ourselves that over the last decade, the promotion and protection of human rights has become integral to Government’s long term development plan for South Africa and her people. And, if our understanding is that women rights are human rights, then mainstreaming gender is recognised as being central to the sustainable development strategies and programmes that government has set in place of a new and inclusive way forward.
Quite apart form the moral imperatives for supporting the campaign; this connection between violence and development is incontrovertible: societies that experience high levels of violence almost inevitably suffer from underdevelopment. The presence of violence – even just a threat of violence – reduces people’s chances of achieving their full human potential – a right guaranteed in our Bill of Rights.
The connection between crime and poverty is well established. But more significant perhaps although less often mentioned, is the connection between poverty and vulnerability to crime. Poor women and children are more likely to be victimised because they enjoy fewer protection, less privacy and fewer resources. Similarly, their resilience in the face of victimisation is considerably less and they are less likely to get the necessary assistance to overcome it.
Interventions that provide protection for children and the many care givers who sustain them are not only fundamental to our crime prevention strategy – these interventions are indispensable to the long term development of this country’s people.
The fact that despite the slew of enabling and empowering legislation that has been passes since 1994, women continue to face marginalisation and discrimination in their homes, communities and workplaces. This campaign will attempt to expose the many faces of violence and explode the myths and stereotypes that determine the attitudes and behaviours that give rise to aggressive and violent behaviour.
While we have much to celebrate in terms of progress made since 1994, much remains to be done. We all – every woman and man in this country – must build on this progress.
The experiences of women in this country and globally, continue to demonstrate more than ever, why legislation alone is not enough to create change – why governments, international bodies, NGOs and organisations are vitally relevant to the transformation process, and more particularly to this campaign. Not only the laws need to change – we need to change the structures and cultures within which the law operates. We must change attitudes and behaviour through awareness and education. We must remain true to the vision of a better world for women and men by staying focused on the problem women face – and working creatively to solve them.
The low status of women in South Africa is evident in every aspect of society – and is inextricably linked to violence in society in general. Thus, the exposure and eradication of violence should be tackled in conjunction with gender oppression as a whole. Transformation of the CJS is central to the identification and development of such solutions in South Africa.
It is interesting to note that while young men commit the overwhelming majority of violent crimes, they are also most vulnerable to violent victimisation. This is quite logical- young men engage in risky behaviour and they are more likely to be in the presence of alcohol, drugs and other elements that help spark violence.
In our paternalistic society, we don’t encourage male victims to recognise themselves as such. “Cowboys don’t cry” remains central to our notion of manhood. If young men are not allowed or encouraged to deal with their own issues as victims, it is difficult to persuade them to consider the needs of victims at all. And this hols true to our service providers – in the police, the courts, our prisons and indeed our society as a whole. It is unhelpful and inaccurate to cast all men as the perpetual enemies of women. It also alienates all those good men who are not proponents or perpetrators of violence. Rather this campaign will attempt to convince men of the essential and positive role they have to play in this eradication of this form of abuse.
We would like to remind all these good men – and indeed all South Africans of Edmund Burke’s stark reminder of the dangers of apathy on this matter:
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”
Issued by: Ministry of Correctional Services
22 November 2004
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