Press Releases - 15 June 2010
UNODC launched Western Cape campaing calling on people to "blow the vuvuzela on violence"
Press Release
Cape Town: 15 June
2010
UNODC launches Western
Cape campaign to counter violence against women and children and calls for
people to “Blow the Vuvuzela on Violence”
Not all the Vuvuzelas being blown in the 2010 FIFA World Cup will
be to support football teams, if the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC) has its way.
This is thanks to a campaign calling on people of the Western Cape to “Blow the
Vuvuzela on Violence”.
The campaign has been launched by UNODC in partnership with the Department of
Social Development (DSD) through funding from the European Union (EU).
“It is aimed at raising awareness around gender- and child-based violence, and
calls for people across all spectrums to speak out against these social evils
and use the focus of the World Cup to highlight the plight of these victims”,
said Sharon Kouta, UNODC Victim Empowerment Programme Provincial Programme
Coordinator for the Western Cape at a press conference in Ravensmead, Cape
Town, today.
Violence against women and children—
societies most vulnerable groups — is an everyday reality for millions in South
Africa and the rest of the world. Physically, verbally, sexually and
economically, the abuse directed against these groups is extensive and the
UNODC is committed to eradicating this abuse.
The campaign plays on the popular “blow the
whistle” tagline and calls for the eradication of violence against women and
children — encouraging victims to rally together and collectively reverse this
scourge.
During
the campaign, sporting events will be held in areas across the Western Cape to
keep learners occupied in a constructive way, while providing them with
practical information about where to get help if they fall victim to crime.
These areas include Ravensmead, Khayelitsha, Riversdale, Caledon, Hanover Park,
Atlantis, Somerset West, Beaufort West, Mitchell’s Plain and Vredendal.
“A
key purpose of the Victim Empowerment Programme is to facilitate the
establishment and integration of inter-departmental and inter-sectoral
programmes and policies for the support, protection and empowerment of victims
of crime and violence. It is therefore inspiring to see so many representatives
from Government and civil society here today”, concluded Kouta.
Background:
Launched in 2008, the Support to South
Africa’s Victim Empowerment Programme is a joint initiative between UNODC
Southern Africa and DSD, funded by the EU. The project was developed to
facilitate the establishment and integration of
interdepartmental/inter-sectoral programmes and policies for the support, protection
and empowerment of victims of crime and violence, particularly with regards to
women and children. The VEP objective is to contribute to building safe and
peaceful communities, strengthening the human rights culture and providing more
effective, multi-sectoral, coordinated responses victims of crime and trauma.
Issued by HWB Communications on behalf of
UNODC
For more information contact:
Naomi Uys
Telephone: 021 462
0416
Cell:
082 707 6394
Email:
Naomi@hwb.co.za
or
Sharon Kouta
UNODC Western Cape Provincial VEP
Co-ordinator
Telephone: 021 483 6446
Cell:
078 458 9478
Email: Sharon.kouta@unodc.org
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