365 Days of Activism

Every year, from 25 November until 10 December, the South African government runs a “16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children” campaign, to try and turn the tide against GBV. But with South Africa having the 4th highest rate of femicide in the world and experiencing a dramatic spike in reported incidents of gender-based violence in 2019, it’s clear that 16 days is simply not enough. Philisa Abafazi Bethu (Heal Our Women) - a Cape Town-based NPO that works on the Cape Flats and townships in the city – launched a poster campaign AFTER 16 Days of Activism had ended, that pushes for #365DaysOfActivism instead. The posters highlight how the current climate of GBV is like a movie – a deeply disturbing and unending one, whose narrative needs to change. These were up at cinema Ster-Kinekor Cavendish and other establishments in the city. By launching this GBV awareness campaign after 16 Days Of Activism, it made people aware that the efforts to eliminate GBV in South Africa need to be maintained 365 days a year, and not just confined to the 16, in order to make a real difference.