SALO facilitated dialogue on Sexual Gender-Based Violence -5 Sept 2019

On Thursday 5 September, SALO’s Research and Liaison Officer Milisuthando Mbete facilitated a dialogue on Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Pretoria’s inner city central’s ANC Ward 56 Branch. The speakers represented the the ANC Women’s League Young Women’s Desk, ANC and ANCWL Tshwane Regional Executive Committee members, with ANCWL President Bathabile Dhlamini as keynote speaker.

ANCWL President Bathabile Dhlamini said the current conditions require women to stand their ground against the scourge of SGBV. She stressed the need to speak about the rape ‘culture’ prevalent in our societies that prompts these violent attacks on women including changing the misogynistic language. She spoke against the death penalty and advocated for life sentences, no bail and no parole for convicted rapists and advocated chemical castration. She called for a national register of sexual offenders, a change in the justice system regarding cases of SGBV and a state of emergency that treats rape and femicide as priority crimes. She said the ANCWL would be calling for solidarity in international forums.