MINISTER SISISI TOLASHE TO LAUNCH CHILDREN’S REPORT ON NATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN ON GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AND FEMICIDE IN BENONI

• Following nationwide consultations with children, the Department of Social Development, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund, will launch the Children’s Report on the National Strategic Plan for Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NSP-GBVF).
• The report stems from recommendations made by children during the second Presidential Summit, where they advocated for a seventh pillar addressing violence against children.
• After the launch, Minister Tolashe will engage various stakeholders in a discussion on violence against women and children on Sunday, 20 October 2024, at the Cape Sun Hotel in Cape Town.

Following successful nationwide consultations with children, the Department of Social Development, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund, will launch the Children’s Report on the National Strategic Plan for Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NSP-GBVF) at the Mary Moodley Child and Youth Care Centre, in Benoni, Gauteng Province.

This follows a recommendation made by children at the second Presidential Summit, where they advocated for the addition of a 7th pillar to the NSP-GBVF, addressing violence against children. During consultations, children were given the opportunity to unpack the six existing pillars of the NSP-GBVF. They expressed strong feelings to having their issues grouped with women, as they felt they were victims of abuse by both men and women. The children also weighed in on the NSP-GBVF document, stating it was not child-friendly.

In response, the children made their own recommendations to the NSP-GBVF, including calls for Parliament to hold regular sittings to consider matters affecting children, with active participation from children themselves. They also emphasised the need for government to involve children in all decisions impacting them, to ensure equal opportunities for all children regardless of race, and for parents to accept their children’s sexual orientations.

After the launch of the report on Saturday, 19 October 2024, Minister Tolashe will engage with various stakeholders on the pressing issue of violence against women and children. This engagement aims to promote children’s voices and will be held under the theme: “Addressing the Intersection Between Violence Against Children and Violence Against Women.” This discussion will take place on Sunday, 20 October 2024, at the Cape Sun Hotel in Cape Town.

Members of the media are invited to attend and cover both initiatives; “Launch of Children’s Consultation Report and Violence Against Women and Children” will be hosted on Saturday, 19 October 2024, 10:00 at Mary Moodley Child and Youth Care Centre, Tsesebe Street, Apex, Dewald Hatting Park, Benoni, Gauteng Province, and “Violence Against Women and Children Engagement” will be hosted on Sunday, 20 October 2024, 10:00 at Cape Sun Hotel, 23 Strand Street, Cape Town.