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George Maponga in Midrand,South Africa
The Pan African Parliament (PAP) President Chief Fortune Charumbira has assured citizens of the continental legislative body’s readiness to add impetus to the fight against Gender Based Violence in Africa.
Chief Charumbira says PAP stands ready to work closely with organisations that vigorously fight to eradicate GBV saying the plight of women was one of the key areas being given prominent attention by the continental legislative body.
He was speaking after SA-based pan African anti-GBV lobby group Kwanele Foundation handed over a petition to PAP at its seat in Midrand, calling for the continental legislative body to add weight in the fight to end GBV.
Scores of Kwanele members, some waving placards with messages denouncing GBV, femicide, among other ills, peacefully marched near the precincts of PAP headquarters where they handed a petition to the continental legislative body’s fourth vice president Mr Aango François Ndoutoume.
Also in the petition handed over by Kwanele founder Ms Sihle Sibisi,
was a call for PAP to host a summit on combating GBV on the continent.
Kwanele demanded that the summit be held before the end of this year.
In response, Chief Charumbira said PAP sympathized with victims of GBV and vowed that the continental legislative body would pull all the stops to fight the vice.
“As PAP, we are sensitive and conscious to the fundamental issue of ending GBV especially considering that cases of GBV remain rife across our continent. The plight of women and the girl child is central to PAP’s agenda as we seek to propel Africa on the development trajectory,” said Chief Charumbira.
“Women and the girl child remain trapped in a cycle of poverty and exclusion in many spheres across Africa not least rights to equal opportunities and treatment in our society where cases of GBV are disproportionately high.”
He promised to walk hand in hand with civil society and women organisations to tackle the scourge of GBV which was negating efforts to create a prosperous Africa for its citizenry especially women.
His sentiments were echoed by vice president Ndoutoume who expressed readiness to make sure a day was dedicated to discuss issues to do with GBV.
The PAP suggested a day be set aside to discuss GBV issues during the ongoing Second Ordinary Session of the 6th Parliament that is running from May 15 to June 2.
“We will seriously look into your request to have a summit on GBV here at PAP and we pledge to commit a day during the current session to discuss GBV issues.
” We are together in this fight against GBV across Africa,” he said.
Ms Sibisi demanded that PAP give them a response by May 26 on when the continental legislative body would be ready to hold the GBV summit.
She said the planned summit must come up with strategies of ending GBV saying most women across the continent were suffering in silence despite being victims.
“By December, we must have that GBV summit to discuss GBV here at PAP. We are saying women across African cannot continue to suffer in silence. We want our leaders here at PAP to help carve a new trajectory for the continent to women from the yoke of GBV. We have confidence that PAP will be able to address our concerns and help end this scourge,” said Ms Sibisi.
Cases of GBV remain high across Africa where some cultural practices compel women and other victims of GBV to suffer in silence.
Online Reporter