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Rape, violence 'order of the day'
21/11/2006 08:02 - (SA)
Lucille Botha, Die Burger
Cape Town - Rape and violent assault are the order of the day in the Western Cape.
Raashied Galant of the Gender Advocacy programme says it's so bad that people need to think long and hard about gender-based violence in the next two weeks.
"It's so serious that this is the only cause to which more than a fortnight is devoted, because people need more than just a day or two to take it in.
"The statistics are staggering. There is no sign of a decline. We need everyone's devoted attention, not just the people who work with it."
Galant was speaking at the launch of a massive campaign to make people aware of gender-based violence in the communities of the Western Cape.
The campaign coincides with the 16th anniversary of 16 Days Against Violence from November 25 to December 10, which is observed countrywide.
The launch statement says the focus will be both on gender-based violence and violence against women.
Soccer tournaments, beach exhibitions, roadblocks and tea parties for women who have applied for protection orders against violence, are some of the events planned.
Making people aware
Galant said people had gone from town to town - to the courts and the police - to establish which women were granted protection orders in the past year.
A statement by Gender Advocacy said the activities had one thing in common: to make people aware of what was happening and to get local communities fired up to protest against violence directed at women and children.
Galant said the first step was to get people to react to the problem.
"The silence around violence is a major part of the problem. "People see it happening, but don't do anything. Worse still, they experience it, but don?t report it."
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