IN QUOTES | Ramaphosa on how R70m GBV fund boost will help fight against femicide

05 February 2021 - 13:00
By cebelihle bhengu AND Cebelihle Bhengu
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday welcomed more than R70m in pledges to assist the government in its fight against gender-based violence and femicide.
Image: GCIS President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday welcomed more than R70m in pledges to assist the government in its fight against gender-based violence and femicide.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said the R70m boost towards the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) will help the government expand its response and services aimed at supporting victims. 

He said through the fund, community-based organisations will receive financial assistance to ensure they continue their fight against GBV.

Ramaphosa was speaking at the launch of the first phase of the Private Sector Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Response Fund on Thursday.

Absa and Anglo American are among the private sector companies that donated towards the cause.

The president said nearly R21bn had been allocated towards the government's fight against GBV, but the programme had been slowed down by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Here are five quotes from his address:

Programmes disrupted by pandemic 

“While the government and its partners have made important progress in starting to implement the national strategic plan, we are in a constrained financial climate but we have made some progress. We had to urgently divert national resources to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and, like every other area of work, this has had an impact on our GBV and femicide programmes.”

R21bn allocated

“We have allocated nearly R21bn over the three years of the midterm expenditure framework to support all the pillars of the national strategic plan.

“I have received a report detailing the expenditure associated with GBV-related programmes in every government department. These include measures to address GBV in higher learning institutions, the inclusion of women in science and technology, support services where we want to include women and economic empowerment.”

GBV affects everyone 

“Government departments will be held accountable for the work they do and for the resources that have been committed. Before asking you to commit resources, we have committed our own. GBV impacts us all and requires collective action.” 

Women live in fear

“GBV has social, psychological, financial, health, educational and political security effects,  to name a few. Its effects are serious and extreme and it can have effects that are intergenerational and long-lasting, not just on the victims and survivors but also society.

“When millions of our citizens have to live in fear of violence and even death simply because they are women or girls, a part of our soul as a people is lost.”

Not a women’s issue 

“GBV and femicide are not what you could call a secondary priority. It is not a women’s issue. GBV is overwhelmingly and unequivocally a human rights issue.”