Question NW2448 to the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture

Reply:

a) My Department promote and support the creative sector by providing funding to Entities reporting to me, these Entities then engage the creative sector to forge social cohesion and advocate against social ills. Examples on how the Department’s entities directly and indirectly support the sectror are as follows;

• The Market Theatre Foundation, is currently creating a play about gender-based violence for teenagers, to be disseminated digitally to high schools nationwide. The play is designed to help high school learners identify gender-based violence and the way it affects their lives, as well as equip them with knowledge, skills, and resources to support them in situations in which they survivors of gender-based violence. In addition, the Market Theatre Laboratory works extensively with its own students on building awareness around gender-based violence through a series of workshops. The students create plays throughout the year exploring this and other socially relevant themes. In 2021, the Market Theatre Laboratory partnered with an independent theatre company to host performances of the play “Text Me When You Arrive: a guide on how not to get raped and killed in South Africa”, a play also grappling with this theme.

The National Film and Video Foundation’s stance has been reflected through the following projects:

• Research conducted in partnership with Sisters Working in Film & TV (SWIFT) entitled “Gender Matters in the South African Film Industry” (2018) which aimed at providing information and statistics on women participation, challenges and roles in the local film industry,
• An MOU signed with SWIFT which covered amongst other things, the implementation of a Code of Good Practice: Handling Sexual Harassment in the Film and Television Industry (“The Code”) which promotes workplaces that are free of sexual harassment, where employers and employees respect one another’s integrity and dignity, their privacy, and their right to equality.
• In partnership with GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH), the NFVF institutionalised gender sensitivity training and GBV training with industry proessionals and AFDA students respectively

The Robben Island Museum hosted a social cohesion programme in the form of an Annual Spring School programme held on the island aimed at capacitating the youth and recently held one on 04 - 09 October 2021. The main objective of all the Nation Building Youth Camps facilitated by Robben Island Museum is to create an opportunity and space to debate on social ills, pertinent issues affecting communities, inclusivity and leadership skills. The theme of the 2021 Spring School was Young people acknowledging that the epidemic of gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa is a national crisis. The 2021 Spring School Programme was made possible with the support from the DSAC’s Sub-Directorate on Social Cohesion and Nation Building.

In addition to the above, other specific programmes implemented include the following:

Social Cohesion Advocates Programme

Through the Social Cohesion Advocates Programme, the Department has been able to implement GBV Dialogues and Seminars in churches, institutions of higher learning such as at then Vaal University of Technology (VUT). As part of creating platforms for promoting Social Cohesion and Nation Building Social Cohesion Advocates have engaged in After School care programmes to empower girls and young women.

During the July 2021 Unrest, Social Cohesion Advocates have been able to participate in fact finding missions. They have engaged communities in dialogues including trainings on Mediation, Conflict Resolution and Peace Building. There have also been initiatives on Healing of Memories and Trauma and Trauma Counselling session.

Preventing Gender Based Violence

Where Gender Based Violence (GBV) is concerned, the idea is to prevent it from happening as opposed to providing interventions when it has happened as that tends to be costlier and unsustainable. As the adage goes Prevention is better than cue. Communities need to understand the Concept of Gender so that they can understand why the scourge is called GBV. Capacity Building in the form of Training has therefore been engaged into including two (2) Gender Sensitisation and GGBV Workshops have been held. A Gender Sensitisation and GBV Workshop was conducted for Albinism Advocacy Access (AAA) on 20 – 22 October 2021 Another one was conducted at Inanda which is one of 30 hotspot areas in KwaZulu Natal (KZN) as communicated by the Minister of Police, Mr Bheki Cele. The Department intends massifying these awareness creation workshops including in areas such as Delft and Lusikisiki.

Funding to Non Profit Organisations

Over and above these, the Departments funds several Non Profit organisations that encourage Prevention of GBV. In this financial year, three (3) such organizations. These organisations have programmes such as After school Programmes that reduce the exposure of children to GBV plus unwanted and or unplanned pregnancies.

Campaigns led by the Department

The Department has also engaged in active campaigns such as The Orange Day Campaign which marks the 25th as a day to wear orange and unite to end violence Against women and Girls (VAWG). This way, on a monthly basis, 365/24/7. we are able to promote the message of GBV prevention as opposed to focusing exclusively on 16 Days of Activism on No Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC). This also ensures that there is monitoring of progress especially as DSAC reports on a monthly basis to the Department of Women Youth and People with Disabilities, under Pillar 2 of the Gender Based Violence National Strategic Plan 2030.

Further, Department has launched two programmes in an aid to raise awareness against GBVF. The programmes are Golekane and Baqhawafazi. Golekane is a campaign which endorses a call to action for men by men to end GBVF through behavioural dialogs, panel discussions, grassroots anti GBVF activations and father and son camps.

Baqhawafazi is a movement that seeks to raise awareness against gender based violence, intimate partner violence and femicide in South Africa. It is comprised of testimonials telling the untold stories of GBVF through raw footage from survivors of GBVF. Some of the activities implemented include The Survivors Guild- August 2021, A walk fit for purpose- August 2021, Digital Content on Social Media pages – September 2021, Filming and production of interviews – September 2021, Media Placement- Erection of billboards and Street pole ads- September 2021.