On the launch of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence (GBV) and Femicide, the South African Students Congress (SASCO) has called on all students and citizens across the country to support the campaign.
The 16 Days of Activism campaign runs from 25 November until 10 December every year to raise awareness about GBV and discrimination against marginalized groups of people in society.
The 22nd National Congress of SASCO describes GBV and Femicide as a pandemic that should be declared as a national disaster and needs to be attended to with urgency.
SASCO has specifically called on higher education institutions to strengthen campus controls and equip them to effectively deal with reports on cases of sexual harassment, rape and violence.
The student organisation also called for Student Counseling Units to be trained to attend to students with mental health problems which has arose from GBV and Femicide, especially in the TVET sector.
They say that they will develop and train groups who will be sent to higher education institutions to educate students about GBV and Femicide and its causes and prevention.
SASCO has drawn up a standing pledge to create safe spaces on campuses to protect the alienation and isolation of the LGBTQI+ community through the establishment of non-binary residences and rest rooms.
This is in efforts to create an all inclusive and diverse society which upholds social cohesion.
The student organisation has also taken a strict stance against any of their members who try to financially or sexually gain from services they offer to prospective and returning students. SASCO says it will make use of its internal disciplinary capacity to punish members who are guilty of this.
They have called on the citizens across the country to strongly fight against GBV and support the launch of the 16 Days of Activism campaign.
