By: Monelisi Sigabi
Masimanyane Women’s Rights International Executive Director Dr Lesley-Ann Foster announced that they have moved the organization to lockdown level four amid growing concerns of the enormous spike on COVID-19 cases in the Buffalo City Metro, Nelson Mandela Bay and other parts of the Eastern Cape.
“We are acutely aware of the safety of our staff and the communities which we work with. The danger of working face to face is high hence we opted to move all our services online,” said Dr Foster.
Fulfilling a directive by Premier Oscar Mabuyane to halt all government meetings, Masimanyane has put on hold all it’s 16 days of Activism of No Violence against Women and Children campaigns.
“In effect, the organisation will not close down. Our services will be done virtually,” told Dr Foster.
Speaking on the incident that occurred in Elliotdale where a mother and her five children were brutally murdered by her alleged partner, Dr Foster expressed deep sorrow and condemned the incident.
“This is a horrendous occurrence and the fact that it happened during the 16 days of Activism of No Violence against Women and Children is an indication of how bad our society is and how difficult the situation has become for all of us, especially those fighting against gender-based violence. It calls for us to increase our activism though it is challenging due to the COVID-19 outbreak,” she added.
Dr Foster further emphasized that they are working on strategies to intensify their work, one of which is contacting all community radio stations for programmes that discuss ways to fight gender-based violence and protect women from femicide during an epidemic.