A Girl child on the streets of a city in South Africa is more vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, and murder more than a poacher is likely to find a beast in the wild lately. With fewer opportunities for quality education and access to economic opportunity, the girl child is deprived of a promising future.
Since the start of the year 2017, a shocking, but a disturbing number of women and children have been killed in South Africa. Several of the women have been murdered by their boyfriends or the men they knew. It is a growing and worrying trend in South Africa.
Latest data on the subject indicates that in every eight hours, a woman is killed by an intimate partner, according to the SA Medical Research Council. One in five (21%) of women in a relationship have experienced physical violence by a partner, according to Stats SA in its South Africa Demographic and Health Survey for the 2016 period, which was released in May 2017.
On Poverty and inequality, African Women and girls are the most affected population with fewer tools and opportunities to escape poverty. No matter how it is cut – socially, economically, legally – girls and women in developing countries get a raw deal of life. The story is the same for the girl child who is denied education, forced into marriage, the mother who risks death when she gives life, or the farmer prevented from owning the land she works on because she is a woman.
Child Welfare South Africa (CWSA) believes that when the society uplifts the girl child, everyone benefits. This makes girls development critical in the fight against poverty and inequality in general.
As part of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, CWSA and Shamilla Ramjawan, the founder of Princess D Menstrual Cup partnered on the implementation of CWSA’s Girl Child Project. The theme for the period under the project is #AllGirlsMatter. The aim is to create greater awareness of the plight of girls, as well as raise funds for the Girl Child project.
“Whether you’re male or female, young or old, black or white, it doesn’t matter. We all need to take a stand for girls. This is for those facing a future of abuse and deprivation, for those denied of the opportunity to succeed in their chosen dream career, for those whose dignity is trampled and are denied the opportunity of quality education”, says Shamilla.
The CWSA’s Empowering the Girl Child initiative aims to inspire and empower girls children living under disadvantaged circumstances to lead successful, independent and fulfilling lives.
“Whether oppression is real to you or not, millions of girls are still in a situation where they face deprivation due to their gender. They face inequality in education, legal rights, healthcare discrimination and forced marriages to adult male” stated Dr. Benny Obayi, Acting NED at CWSA.
CWSA is hoping that through this campaign, more people in the society will take a stand and say, CWSA Count Me In, I will join in and support the fight to protect and preserve the dignity of girls.
