Women for Change says government must move beyond promises and take concrete action to address gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).
The organisation is planning a nationwide shutdown on the 21st of November, including a symbolic funeral procession in Johannesburg to honour victims of GBVF.
Spokesperson Merlise Jogiat says that a year after the government declared GBVF a national disaster, there is still no clear implementation plan or dedicated funding.
She says activists are demanding greater accountability, improved police response, and stronger support for survivors.
“We’re still waiting for an implementation plan. Without any of that information, nothing’s really happening. If you spoke to anybody in your life and asked them if anything has changed in the last year, they would tell you the experiences are exactly the same,” says Jogiat.
“We’re still not getting a response from the police that we would like. The judicial system is still letting murderers out on bail. There’s just the same rhetoric over and over again. When it comes to the funding, we need dedicated funding towards the classification. There’s no sense in announcing it publicly so the world can see it and they’re not actually doing anything with it because it gives people false hope,” added Jogiat.
Women For Change calls for govt to deliver on promises made to fight GBV: