Anglican Communion News Service

6 August 2001

One of the issues closest to my heart is the dignity and rights of women and children. It is an issue that strikes at the heart of our nation and involves so much more than simply putting legislation in place and talk about Constitutional rights.

Sadly, in most cases, it is men who are the perpetrators of the heinous crimes of violence and discrimination. It is violent and abusive men who consistently create headlines and sow fear and disgust. As sadly, even apparently respectable men are guilty of subtler, and often more insidious crimes against the vulnerable.

Those of us who care can no longer shake our heads from the sidelines. It is time for the good men of this country to take a stand. We need to show the entire world and, especially our women and children, that we are not prepared to accept the intolerable situation that prevails. We need to actively promote a dramatic change in how our society operates.

I am therefore pleased to report that The Inter-Religious Commission on Crime and Violence in the Western Cape, which I chair, has joined forces with Government, NGOs, civil society structures, the media, the business community and faith-based communities to give impetus to a national awareness and solidarity campaign.

The campaign is not new. We launched it last year, with a men's march through Cape Town. That march attracted between two and three thousand good men and boys. We hope and pray that far more will march this year. Ideally, others will march in other cities and towns.

We have in recent weeks developed a three-phase national awareness campaign. This National Gender Summit, and Women's Day on Thursday are milestones during the first phase. The second phase will take place on November 25 when we will, once again, march. This time it will probably be through the Cape Flats. It is a date to be noted in the diaries of fathers and brothers, sons and all caring people. The third phase will last from the 26th November until the 10th December - Human Rights Day. The emphasis will be on the rights of women.

You may wonder what a march will achieve. We believe it will reassure and comfort those women and children who are crying out for respect and release from fear. We believe many will be encouraged to say "enough " and to seek assistance. We believe that a well supported march will reassure and enthuse our law enforcers. It will certainly generate the positive global publicity this country so badly needs. Most importantly, it will send a powerful message to those who believe they are a law unto themselves.

The support for our campaign to date - especially from high profile personalities, like our Social Development Minister Dr Zola Skweyiya, has been heart warming. I am appealing to others in big business, labour, education, civic movements, the media, the international community, government and communities at large to take this campaign as seriously as it deserves.

If there is one thing we South Africans are good at, it is our ability to mobilise a march for a good cause. This a "struggle" we dare not avoid.