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Chairperson,
Honoured guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Colleagues,
Comrades and friends

Our senses have been assaulted in this last week by the violence meted out to children and women across the length and breadth of our country. Just yesterday I visited the Stop Women Abuse Toll-Free Helpline. This helpline now takes between 3 500 and 4 500 calls a month from men and women seeking assistance. Calls are taken in all 11 official languages; pleas for help come from all nine of our provinces and while 40% of the callers request specific information, counselling is provided in a full 60% of the calls.

This helpline represents for many women their first line of defence. It is a critically important service. The sad reality is that unless urgent funding is sourced, a decision to terminate its operation will have to be made on 6 December.

Ironic isn't it that right in the middle of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women, this precious resource might face extinction. Private sector funding has not been forthcoming despite a concerted effort by a dedicated and hard-working team to procure financial support for this worthy cause. Perhaps this aloofness reflects our collective indifference to this issue; I hope not. For the lack of just R4million annually 42 000 people in distress could be cut out of the loop entirely. This is a sad and lamentable state of affairs. We need your help. If you can think of any way to ensure the survival of this significant programme, please make contact with us urgently.

I believe that this project represents core business in Justice. We can and must find ways to integrate this programme into our budget in the long term. In the short term, we will have to source emergency bridging funding for the helpline. We must not fail.

In dealing with violence and abuse, especially as it pertains to the most vulnerable sectors of our society, the Government has recognised the need for targeted interventions. Since 1994 we have set in place issue specific legislation relating to domestic violence, sexual offences, conditions of bail and minimum sentences. We have expanded significantly the infrastructure and facilities required for effective service delivery. And while we as government recognise that there remains much to be done in both the legislative and service delivery fields, one must conclude that these reactive measures must be supported by stronger and more effective preventative processes.

Developing a national ethic that rejects violence and embraces tolerance and respect for oneself and others must surely serve as the foundation for a fundamentally more holistic approach to eradicating violence and abuse in our society. Clearly education's new emphasis on life skills development with young people is critical for developing social values that support the human rights ethos of our Constitution.

We were, all of us, shattered by last week's news of the rape of a nine-month-old baby by six adult men. Let us however, not lose sight of the central issue: Rape is not a sexual act; it is an act of violence perpetrated by the powerful over the powerless. This incident highlights in stark and shocking detail how - in a patriarchal society - race, class and gender conspire to rob the most vulnerable of their human dignity. Disturbing accounts of attacks on elderly women and the girl child, frequently by juvenile males, is a frightening reminder of the perceived and actual power imbalances that hold sway in our society.

As a collective, this group of women here today represents a potentially powerful force for change. Anger is understandable, but it is time for us to do something positive, thoughtful and meaningful - something that makes a difference. What is that that we can do? I believe that this onslaught against women will not cease until men become part of the solution. Each one of us has a father, a husband, a son, a brother or an uncle. On the 25th of this month the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women begins. Is this going to be another year of women meeting in gatherings across the country, agonising alone over the crisis that faces them? When will the men and boys of this country come out in sufficient numbers to take a stand on violence against women and girls? How do we make men more proactive on this issue?

I see from your programme that you will be dealing with two extremely important topics: Impacting on Gender Roles: Life skills development with youth and Working with Men: Changing Attitudes. These two modules speak to the very heart the issue. Your challenge and ours will be how to reach the maximum number of girls, boys, women and men within manageable and realistic timeframes. The coming 16 Days of Activism is an ideal opportunity to make men aware of the problem and to mobilise them into action. Real men don't rape. It's time for all of us to demonstrate that this is not just a slogan - it's time to turn it into a reality.

Your evaluation of the efficacy of the Domestic Violence Act in today's programme is to be welcomed and I would be really grateful for copies of the conference documentation. On the 15th of this month specialists in all the relevant departments will be meeting in an innovation workshop to develop an improved and integrated model for service delivery on this key piece of legislation. Your work today will be exceedingly relevant to our processes at that workshop.

An important element of the new model will be to look at how our institutions can form strategic partnerships with civil society and especially the NGO community to maximise the returns from the resource envelope currently available to us. The importance of holistic and cross-sectoral approach cannot be overstated. Together we can make a difference.

I am certain that your efforts here today will contribute to positive changes in attitudes and practice as we develop an improved way forward. I wish you well in your deliberations.

Thank you.

Issued by Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development

14 November 2001