It’s time to take stock! Take stock of what has been done to ease the pain for victims over the past 14 years. In 2013 South Africa will be celebrating fifteen years since the inception of both the 16 Days of Activism on No Violence against Women and Children Campaign and the Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP).
As part of the build-up to the 15th anniversary there is a need to reflect on what was achieved during the past fourteen years, what lessons were learned and how to improve services to victims. With this in mind a Provincial Victim Empowerment Summit, will be held from the 29 – 30 November 2012 at HOFFE Park Kimberley, under the theme: Celebrating 15 years of Victim Empowerment.
The Summit will also act as the departmental launch of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, while promoting joint and integrated planning and implementation between provincial and districts government department (stakeholders and CSOs) with regard to services to victims.
The objectives of the Provincial Victim Empowerment Summit are:
- Share successes and lessons learned in the Northern Cape over the past 14 years, and best practice models
- Identify core challenges/recommendations
- Promote integration among stakeholders
- Submit the Summit report to the National VEP Forum
The following areas will be dealt with during the Summit:
- Legislative Framework
- National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS) Strategy
- Victim Empowerment Flagship Projects and
- Comprehensive Evidence Based Victim Empowerment Services.
The target group includes 200 people from all over the Province (Frances Baard: 50, Pixley ka Seme: 59, Siyanda: 16, John Taolo Gaetsewe: 19, Namakwa: 5), consisting of both stakeholders and volunteers in the VEP field.
The Provincial Summit also is a build-up activity to the National Summit, which is planned for 13 - 14 February 2013, in preparation for the International Victim Empowerment Conference to take place between September and October 2013.
People interested to know more about the VEP Summit can contact:
Portia Qondani
Tel: 053 874 9263
The 16 Days of Activism on No Violence against Women is an international campaign, spear-headed by the United Nations, to create a global movement to raise awareness, to address policy and legal issues, to campaign for the protection of survivors of violence and to call for the elimination of all forms of gender violence. It takes place annually from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (International Human Rights Day). The period also includes Universal Children’s Day and World AIDS Day.
November 25, originally marked the day that the three Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic were violently assassinated in 1960 during the Trujillo dictatorship. The day is used to pay tribute to the Mirabal sisters, as well as global recognition of gender violence and was officially recognised as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by the United Nations in 1999.
On December 10, people around the world celebrate the adoption in 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - which states the right of all people to "life, liberty and the security of person … without distinction of any kind".
Although the global campaign focuses on violence against women only, South Africa added children to its campaign because of the high incidence of child abuse in the country. During this time, the South African Government, through the Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP), runs a 16 Days of Activism Campaign to make people aware of the negative impact of violence on both women and children and to act against abuse.
Every year, government, civil-society organisations and the business sector work together to broaden the impact of the campaign. Much were achieved since 1998 with the annual 16 Days of Activism Campaign, but a decision was taken in 2007 to strengthen it with a “365 days on No-Violence against Women & Children;” Campaign.
One of the most important elements of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign is the White ribbon campaign: By wearing a white ribbon during the Campaign, South Africans can demonstrate their support for a society that rejects violence against women and children. It is an act of solidarity with victims and survivors of violence. By wearing a white ribbon you are making a personal pledge never to commit, condone or remain silent about Violence against Women and Children.
The Objectives of the 16 Days Campaign are:
- Create awareness on the extent and impact of Violence against Women and Children.
- Educate all segments of society (including “potential abusers”) of what constitutes abuse, how abuse may be countered and what options are available to abused persons, including how and where abuse may be reported.
- “Call-to-Action” component – improving the reporting rates (a “Call-to-Action” to abused persons/people aware of abuse) and to decrease incidence of abuse (“Call-to-Action” to abusers)
During 2012 16 Days Campaign will continue with the global theme: From peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let's Challenge Militarism and End Violence against Women!
The Victim Empowerment Programme was initiated during 1998, within the broader NCPS (National Crime Prevention Strategy), in order to recognise the negative impact of crime on individuals, families and communities and also to prevent secondary victimisation.
The vision of the VEP is to have a peaceful South Africa where the interests of victims of crime are acknowledged and the balance between victims, communities and offenders is restored. The purpose of the VEP is to facilitate the establishment and integration of inter–sectoral programs and policies for the prevention of victimisation, support, protection and empowerment of victims of crime and violence, with special focus on vulnerable groups, especially women and children, and to ensure that the implementation of such programs and policies are monitored and evaluated at all levels of government.
Building on this, the Programme's overall development objective is to contribute to building safe and peaceful communities by strengthening the human rights culture and providing more effective, multisectoral, coordinated responses to victims of crime and trauma.
The program deals with all kinds of victimisation, especially in terms of: Violence against Women; Violence against Children; Domestic violence; Victims of Sexual Assault, such as Rape and Sexual Abuse; Abuse of the Elderly; Abuse of People with Disabilities; Human Trafficking and Xenophobia.
VEP Partners include the following: Departments of Social Development, Health, Transport, Safety and Liaison, Education, Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Correctional Services, Justice, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), South African Police Service (SAPS), Commission for Gender Equality and several Non-Governmental Organisations, such as: Network on Violence against Women, Christina Matthews Foundation, Nicro, Men-in-Action, SACC etc.
