CEPPWAWU ADVOCATING TO 3 ZEROS ON HIV/AIDS AND AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN ABUSE WORLD AIDS DAY 1st December 2011
CEPPWAWU DISCUSSION PAPER
By Gender/HIV Desk
Every year Children’s Day, Women’s day, Women’s month, 16 days of Activism and now World Aids Day roll around and we hear great speeches everywhere. What exactly are these days about? Do we just want to talk about how bad things are for all these events, and then forget? Do we genuinely believe that throughout the rest of the year we are already where we want to be in terms of women and children’s rights and as well as combating HIV/AIDS? This is a worrying factor that the campaigns, once critical for Gender and human rights activists around the world is not making the kind of impact necessary to end levels of gender violence. I want to believe that there are many who share my opinion; who like me want to move from talking, marching, meeting and reflecting, to action.
In 2010, the Minister of Women, children and people with disabilities Lulu Xingwana launched the 365 days activism on violence against women and children. Women and Children especially the poor are certainly the most vulnerable in our society. This is what we must advocate for, as Women and children need protection from violence 24/7. Violence against women is one of the most widespread human rights abuse and a key human security issue of our time.
