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August is celebrated as Women’s month in South Africa which aims to celebrate the successes and achievements of women. Government will commemorate Women’s month under the theme: “100 Years of Women’s Struggles: Together fighting Gender-Based Violence”.

This year’s commemoration of Women’s Month takes on a special significance as it is the year of the “triple centenary”. South Africa celebrates the birth of struggle icons Mama Albertina Sisulu and Tata Nelson Mandela as well as the formation of the Bantu Women’s League.

The Mama Albertina Sisulu’s centenary celebration will form a core thrust of Women’s Month as we pay tribute to her and the many women leaders of her generation. Mama Sisulu was one of the organisers of the anti-pass Women’s March in 1956 and played a key role in its planning.

The sub-theme for Women’s Month captures the focus on the Centenary of Mama Albertina Sisulu  and is distinct from, but integral to the Women’s Month theme which has the slogan “Albertina Sisulu: A Woman of Fortitude”.

To kick start the Women’s month campaign, the Department of Women has declared 01 August 2018 as the Day of Mourning for victims of Gender Based Violence. The department will join thousands of activists from across the country in a call for an end to gender-based violence.

The Day of Mourning campaign is symbolically designated to emphasise that gender-based violence is a human rights violation.  The campaign seeks to acknowledge and highlight violent masculinities, harmful traditions and practices that help to normalise gender-based violence and impunity of perpetrators.

“To mark the start of Women’s Month, we call on all South Africans to join the national moment of silence tomorrow (01 August 2018) during lunch time. We urge both men and women to wear black clothes and form a human chain on the streets in front of their offices, homes or social places to remember women and children who are victims of violence” said Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Bathabile Dlamini.

 Minister Bathabile Dlamini supports the campaigns, programmes and marches that are aimed at fighting gender based violence and calls on everybody to join the campaign to end the scourge of violence in our society.

“Gender-based violence affects us all and it continues to be the responsibility of all people to bring an end to this gross human rights violation. We encourage all community members, business sectors, government officials to use the Day of Mourning and Women’s Month campaign to raise the call for an end to gender-based violence and to advocate for the full realisation of human rights and achievements of gender equality” said Minister Bathabile Dlamini.

During the Women’s month, Minister Dlamini will visit and engage with various stakeholders such as the Faith Based Organisations, gender activists, the NGOs, youth formations, traditional leaders and business sector to create awareness on issues of Gender Base Violence. Importantly, these visits and engagements with communities and stakeholders will be used to solicit partnership for the fight against Gender-Based Violence.

The Department of Women has developed a programme of activities for the Women’s month that will build up to the Women’s day and further roll out over the rest of the month. A comprehensive calender can be accessed on www.women.gov.za.

Issued by Government Communication and Information Systems