South Africa launches 16 Days of Activism with a call to protect women and children

Deputy Minister Mmapaseka Steve Letsike delivered a stark reminder of the country’s ongoing crisis at the launch of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, saying that each year, the campaign begins with the same hope - that fewer women, children, and vulnerable people will fall victim to violence.

South Africa commemorated almost three decades of the campaign on Tuesday. The country will be honouring these coming days under the LETSEMA theme, which calls on society to join in collaborative efforts to end the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide.

Letsike said Tuesday’s gathering was not just for people to observe the campaign, but for the nation to mourn in anger and determination to see an end to this disaster.

The statistics in the country, according to Letsike, serve as a stark reminder of the grim reality many are forced to endure.

The Minister for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, Sindiswe Chikunga, at the launch, noted that the most vital thing for them to implement is the declarationadopted at the G20. The declaration reaffirms global leaders' commitment to the empowerment of women and children, the condemnation of gender-based violence, and the call for stronger action for the eradication of all violence against women.

Chikunga added that this year's theme was a call for all to come together to fight against the plague, which affects women and vulnerable people.

"LETSEMA is a Sotho word meaning working together to accomplish a shared task. A communal practice where everyone contributes to the well-being of all."

Fact Box

• South Africa reclassifies gender-based violence as a national disaster on 21 November 2025.

• The Human Sciences Research Council reports that between July and September 2024, 1,567 women survived attempted murders in the country.

• 33.1 percent of women over the age of 18 have experienced physical violence in their lifetime.

• 2 150 342 women have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime.

• The United Nations Women show that 5.5 women are killed by intimate partners per 100,000 women.