President Ramaphosa Calls on South African Men to Stand Up Against GBV During Women’s Day Address

• President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the 1956 Women's Day Commemoration at the Union Buildings on Women's Day
• The President directed a message at men and boys across South Africa amid the country's ongoing GBV crisis
• Research by the Human Sciences Research Council indicated how many women over the age of 18 experience physical violence

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

PRETORIA — President Cyril Ramaphosa used his Women's Day address at the Union Buildings to call on South African men to take an active stand against gender-based violence (GBV).

The President delivered a pointed message at a commemoration marking 70 years since more than 20,000 women gathered at the same venue to protest apartheid pass laws. Ramaphosa directed his sharpest words at men and boys, urging collective accountability in the face of a persistent national crisis.

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"Men and boys must step forward and say, 'Not in my name'. More and more men must stand forward and say, 'I shall not lift a hand against any woman'," the President said.

South Africa's GBV crisis

Ramaphosa’s comments come as gender-based violence continues to dominate the news in the country.

Ramaphosa pointed to the National Council on GBV as part of the government's structured response to the scourge. South Africa records over 50,000 sexual offences annually, with police statistics reflecting tens of thousands of rape cases each year.

Research by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) indicates that roughly a third of women over the age of 18 experience physical violence during their lifetime.

Source: Briefly News