President Cyril Ramaphosa in the preceding week launched the first phase of the private sector gender-based violence and femicide fund (GBVF). This fund is meant to extensively deal with GBVF in a comprehensive manner. It is part of the wider national strategic plan (NSP) and is part of fulfilling the commitments made at the presidential summit on gender-based violence and femicide, which was held three years ago and committed to women and children in this country that there will be an increased, concerted effort in the fight against GBVF.

In his virtual address, the president rightfully stated that GBV is a societal issue, it is not a women’s issue. He mentioned that GBVF is a human rights issue that has social, psychological, financial, health, educational, political and security implications for society at large. And for this reason, GBVF is not the business of the victims only, but it is each and every citizen's business. Because in one way or another, GBVF touches each one of us. The president appealed to the private sector to contribute to this fund, on top of the R21bn the government has already allocated. Government's allocation of funds has been constrained due to the need to divert funds toward the Covid-19 pandemic...