The second Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) has kicked off at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, where President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the keynote address this afternoon.
The two-day summit is being held under the theme: “Accountability. Acceleration and Amplification, NOW!”.
The summit will reflect on the work undertaken since the first Presidential Summit on GBVF in November 2018, report on key successes and challenges, and outline clear strategies to overcome them.
The objectives of the summit are:
- To demonstrate continued high-level commitment and state accountability for the national response to GBVF;
- To accelerate actions and accountability by key government departments and all stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector and labour;
- To be a platform through which to share areas of progress by government, civil society, the private sector, labour and other sectors to inspire similar actions across all stakeholders; and
- To provide a space for wider collaborative engagement between all stakeholders to strategise on strengthening the overall response to and prevention of GBVF in the country, bringing the -whole-of society approach strongly into focus.
Cabinet Ministers attending the summit include Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disability Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane; Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma; Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele; Police Minister Bheki Cele; Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu; and Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, among others.
The summit will also be attended by Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and members of civil societies.