The safety of women and children is still a great concern in South Africa. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has officially launched the 16 Days of Activism Campaign for no violence Against Women and Children Abuse. The launch was held at the Jabulani amphitheater in Soweto.?

CONCERNS FROM BHEKI CELE?

Recently, police Minister Bheki Cele expressed concern about the rising number of offenses against women and children. He urged the community to stand up against this and protect their most vulnerable members. This year's theme for the annual commemoration is "Socio-Economic Rights and Empowerment to build Women's Resilience against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide: Connect, Collaborate, Contract!'

LESUFI'SPLAN TO ERADICATE TO KEEP WOMEN AND CHILDREN SAFE?

Premier Lesufi urges every South African to actively participate in the protection of women and children in their communities. "We also have almost 185 gender-based patrollers. We want to equip all of these patrollers so that they can assist in arresting and defending everyone,' he says. "We are proud to be the first province to have one office, where if somebody is victimized or raped, you don't have to explain to many people, you explain to one person only and, thereafter, your case is taken to all law enforcement agencies without you repeating yourself again and again.' He went on to say that the plan is to have a police patrol car in every ward in the townships, hostels, and informal settlements."?

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO DO SOON?

Lesufi has added that government is in the process of introducing an e-panic button for victims of GBV to quickly inform the police patrolling their ward. "To all the women and children, we want to declare to you that you will be safe under our leadership," he says. Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has expressed excitement in bringing to life a platform that will allow women to showcase their businesses and further empower women in business. "At the heart of our mandate as the department is to ensure that women, youth, and persons with disabilities play an effective role in representation, ownership, and control of income-generating assets within the economy,' she says. "In addressing inequality, we aim to address structural drivers of GBVF and break stubborn patterns of ownership that continue to impoverish and disadvantage women." In closing, Lesufi says,"We're also introducing further strengthening the greenhouses so that when yousee these greenhouses you know you can report these cases so that the policecan undertake their work and deal with these things.'