Let's Use Our Voice!
POST OFFICE
TO PARLIAMENT
2022
In Women's Month, there is a an opportunity to call South Africans to action through awareness and reconciliation.
Though COVID-19 makes it difficult to come together, there is a cathartic way of putting women and young people on the agenda: facilitate thousands of letters demanding the end of Gender-Based Violence by sharing written reflections. These will be independently collected and taken from the Post Office in Claremont to Parliament in Cape Town.
Original 1956 Women’s March Petition Letter:
We, the women of South Africa, have come here today. We African women know too well the effect this law upon our homes, our children. We, who are not African women know how our sisters suffer. For to us, an insult to African women is an insult to all women.
* That homes will be broken up when women are arrested under pass laws. * That women and young girls will be exposed to humiliation and degradation at the hands of pass-searching policemen. * That women will lose their right to move freely from one place to another.
We, voters and voteless, call upon your government not to issue passes to African women. We shall not resist until we have won for our children their fundamental rights of freedom, justice and security.
Our Letter to Parliament
We, the people of South Africa,
write to you, our government today.
"We who are women, children and LGBTQIA+ persons know too well the effect of Gender-Based Violence upon our homes and our children. We who are not survivors know how our communities suffer. For us, Gender-Based Violence is violence against all in South Africa.
We know that:
* That homes will be broken up when Gender-Based Violence is left unchecked.
* That women, children and LGBTQIA+ people will be exposed to humiliation and degradation at the hands of violent perpetrators.
* That women, children and LGBTQIA+ people will lose their right to move freely from one place to another.
We, the people of South Africa, call upon our government to take meaningful action against Gender-Based Violence. We shall not rest until we have won for our children their fundamental rights of freedom, justice and security.
Submit your letter below to sign our petition.
In 1956 Helen Joseph, Sophia Williams de Bruyn, Lillian Ngoyi and Amina Cachalia brought over 20 000 women together at the Union Buildings simply by putting ink on paper.
65 years later we are doing the same...
Handover of Letters outside Parliament
to President & Minister.
The process of writing a letter about GBV might evoke emotions of discomfort and upset, especially individuals that have been directly impacted by GBV. We encourage you to seek therapy if this occurs.
We offer free counselling at the bottom right of the website.
Listed below are resources that offer free counseling.
South African Depression & Anxiety Group - SADAG - (0800) 12 13 14
Adcock Ingram Depression and Anxiety Helpline - (0800) 70 80 90
Lifeline South Africa - (0861) 322 32224 -hour crisis intervention service. “Emotional First Aid station”
Befrienders Bloemfontein - (0027) 51 444 5000
People Opposed to Woman Abuse (Powa) - (083) 765 1235
Stop Women Abuse - 0 (800) 150 150