The Napier Community Policing Forum joined forces with the local police, neighbourhood watches, the traffic department and the Spiritual Crime Prevention group to launch various campaigns to create awareness of domestic and gender-based violence over more than two weeks.
The 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children Campaign is a United Nations campaign held annually from 25 November (International Day for No Violence Against Women) to 10 December (International Human Rights Day).
“South Africa faces an acute challenge with gender-based violence, especially impacting women and children,” said Napier CPF chair Ivan Boshoff.
“The nation grapples with distressingly high rates of domestic abuse, sexual violence, femicide and intimate-partner violence.
“The 16 Days of Activism serves as a critical platform to elevate awareness and mobilise action against these pervasive societal issues. It is imperative to recognise the significance of this focused period while emphasising the continuous need for advocacy against abuse throughout the year.”
The aim, said Boshoff, is to spotlight support services available to survivors, offering them resources, counselling, and safe spaces.
“Empowering survivors to voice their experiences and seek assistance forms a pivotal aspect of this campaign,” he added.
The campaign started with approximately 60 representatives of the CPF, Napier Police, neighbourhood watches, ECO Kids and Spiritual Crime Prevention group, accompanied by traffic officers, marching through the town with colourful posters. They also informed onlookers about the aims of the campaign.
Various local organisations also joined the crime fighters in distributing pamphlets about GBV and domestic violence and available help for victims throughout the town.
Captain J van Rensburg, commander of the Napier Police, joined Boshoff and Chandré Behr of the CPF last week as they visited the Napier Retirement Village and Huis Klippedrift to inform residents about the significance of the 16 Days of Activism and a continuous need for advocacy against abuse throughout the year.
Boshoff also read the manifesto that states that violence should never be met with silence, and emphasises the importance of taking action to prevent violence against women and children.
Van Rensburg addressed the residents, assuring them the Napier Police are working hard to rid the town of criminals, drugs, illegal shebeens, gangsterism and other crimes. He gave some examples of recent successes, answered several questions and explained the benefit of the LPR Camera System in the fight against crime.
Behr then briefly gave an overview of the Spiritual Crime Prevention initiative with its youth group and how it is interlinked with the police and CPF’s efforts.
Role-players also visited schools in the area to teach the learners about stranger danger, the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, and where to get help when they feel unsafe.