Swartland Municipality launched a new five-year plan to fight gender-based violence (GBV) by introducing its Ambassadors against GBV to the community on Friday morning (19 August).
According to a statement issued by the municipality, it is changing gears in how they approach the fight against gender-based violence.
“We are implementing a grassroots approach by deploying ambassadors in every ward, one for each of our 12 wards, to help raise awareness,” it explained. “This initiative is being launched as part of our Women’s Month celebrations and will continuously run for the next five years and form part of our ward committees.”
Ambassadors against GBV are serving members on the municipality’s ward committees. Its focus as a local government is to use resources it already has at its disposal to create a sustainable initiative.
The GBV ambassadors will be required to report back to their ward committees, councillors and council about their activities. The purpose is to help lobby against this social ill, act as advocates for those vulnerable or have fallen victim to GBV, and help the municipality perform its oversight functions. It says its aim is to empower more people with ease of access to support services that can help prevent GBV as well as support its victims.
The selected ambassadors have received training from the Provincial Department of Social Development, and the municipality will continue to work with the department to provide training, support, and information sessions throughout the five years to equip its ambassadors as they help communities. This bottom-up approach focuses on what communities need to do to combat GBV actively, instead of adopting cookie-cutter, pre-packaged approaches. Following a ward-based approach will allow all stakeholders to focus on solutions, messaging and activism that will work best for where they live.
Provincial Social Development Minister Sharna Fernandez said in a keynote address: “Today these 12 ambassadors have taken the first step to becoming the change they wish to see in their communities by taking responsibility towards making a difference to the shocking statistics we see in across the province and the Nation. We need to develop an active citizenry.”
Swartland Executive Mayor Alderman Harold Cleophas said: “Engaging the ward committees in the fight against gender-based violence is critical. We all have a responsibility to stop and prevent GBV and make our ward committees part of this fight. To this end we are empowering communities and activists who are easily accessible with knowledge. Thank you to Minister Fernandez and her ministry, which has been incredibly supportive of this initiative.”
