The ANC Women's League in solidarity with #TotalShutdown

It started with a Name and Shame campaign online. And now, the subcommittee of the ANC Women's League called the office of young women will march against gender-based violence.

This national march coincides with the transnational march #TotalShutdown. Both marches will aim to demonstrate against gender-based violence, even if the two groups will not join forces.

Precious Banda, an organizer of the Young Women's Bureau, says that there is no animosity between the groups but this decision was made because of the fundamental differences in the number of children. execution of the steps.

Walking #TotalShutdown has opted for no man to be allowed to physically participate in walking. The organizers also chose the symbolic colors black and red to wear.

"For us, gender-based violence and the abuse of women are not a women's responsibility to fight alone. We want progressive men to support our cause, stand up and say that they agree with us as women who feel violated every day, who live in fear and who feel that our body is became a battleground by these abuses, "said Banda.

"For us, unity in diversity is that everyone arrives [as] they are … we live our lives, we live and express our daily experiences." if I am an ANC woman who was brought up and nurtured in the movement on the day of the march, I want to convey the message as being a woman, not an apolitical woman, "she said. We continue to send our solidarity to those who have decided to walk under the theme of #TotalShutdown because for us it is not a matter of walking. where, it's a declared day to send a strong message against gender-based violence, "Banda said.

The march will be led by the subcommittee and includes faith-based organizations, civil society and other members of society.

The purpose of the Name and Shame campaign, which began about three weeks ago, was to prepare for the march and divert the attention of perpetrators of gender-based violence to their perpetrators.

As part of this campaign, the subcommittee issued a series of posters of men who had been found guilty of abuse.

"We wanted to change this story by talking more about those who cause pain and abuse. rather than making it a women's problem, "said Banda.

Banda says those who march to Johannesburg will gather at Constitution Hill and walk to Luthuli House to hand in a memorandum of demands.

In response to the reason why they did not send their grievances within the ANC, Bands said collaboration with many other groups who "trust that the ANC must do more to confront and address the problems of gender-based violence. "