CFJ News Briefing

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23 November 2021

Dear CFJ supporter,

The global 16 Days of Activism for Ending Violence Against Women and Children campaign is starting this week. It runs from Thursday, 25 November to Friday, 10 December. This year its focus is on raising awareness about gender-based violence (GBV) and educating the public on how to prevent it.

Cause for Justice (CFJ) fully supports the elimination of all forms of GBV. One of our core values is protecting and promoting human dignity (our inherent worth as members of the human family). Another is social justice: taking collective responsibility for the social welfare and security of all people – especially the most vulnerable members of society (like children and many women).

This week, we will look at how we can protect families and particularly children. Preventing and eradicating the scourge of GBV starts at home: healthy families provide children with the best opportunity to grow up into healthy adults who contribute to creating and sustaining healthy communities. If we can teach our children to respect themselves and others, then we are setting up the next generation for a bright future. Now that is a cause we can all get behind!

What is happening at Cause For Justice?

As part of our 16 Days of Activism campaign, we are emphasising the importance of values-based sexuality education in schools. But why are we talking about sexuality education when we are campaigning to prevent GBV? Because teaching our children healthy values about gender and relationships is the first line of defence.

First, we need to take a step back. At Cause for Justice we believe that it is parents’ responsibility (and privilege) to teach their children about healthy sexuality and relationships in accordance with their family values and beliefs. It is also important that sexuality education is scientifically accurate and age-appropriate. Sadly, and for many reasons, this is not the lived reality of a great number of South African children.

During 2019, the public learnt of the Department of Basic Education (DBE)’s new – and controversial! – Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) scripted lesson plans (SLPs). Rather than encourage stronger parent-child relationships, the SLPs actually contain content that risk creating rifts between parents and children. What is more, the SLPs are not value neutral: it not only contains scientifically inaccurate and age-inappropriate content, but ideological content as well. The ideological content is especially worrying – being both radical and controversial – and many parents are

rightly gravely concerned that it does not represent the sincerely-held and healthy values and beliefs they want to raise their children in.

Proponents of CSE claim that it has a place in eliminating GBV, but we cannot agree. The SLPs do no focus on building resilience for abstinence and character development. We are especially concerned by the research results of studies that have been done to gauge the impact of CSE. It is seriously troubling that these studies show that CSE has zero positive impact on children – and in fact, that it has a negative impact on children!

For an overview of the concerns about CSE, watch our five video shorts starting with this one: What is the CSE issue about?

The videos answer the following questions:

What is the CSE issue about?
Is there cause for concern?
Is CSE effective at addressing social ills associated with sexual behaviour?
Are the CSE SLPs compulsory for schools?
What can we do?

This is where the importance of values-based sexuality education comes in. Preventing GBV starts at home: with teaching our children healthy values about sex, sexuality and relationships. Children who are taught to treat themselves – and others – with respect and dignity, will not participate in GBV. If we empower them to be resilient, they are also more likely to speak up for themselves and others to prevent or stop violence.

We also need to ensure that any sexuality education a child may receive in school, is values-based. Thankfully, there are many values-based programmes that can be used as alternatives to the DBE CSE SLPs.

If you would like more information about alternative programmes, please contact us.

For a deeper dive into important issues surrounding CSE, watch this series of seven videos starting with the above video.

In the videos, our panel of experts look at the following issues:

The context and background, as well as content, of the DBE CSE SLPs (Part 2 Video 1).
Parents, counsellors and therapists concerns and experiences with CSE (Part 2 Video 2).
The philosophical and political elements to CSE and radical gender ideology (Part 2 Video 3 and Part 2 Video 3B).
Gender identity disorder and transgender ideology (Part 2 Video 4).
Closing of panel discussion (Part 2 Video 5).

We cannot afford to remain ignorant of (or ignore) these important issues affecting our children. Let’s stand together – together we can ensure our children face the brightest possible future as healthy individuals who enjoy healthy relationships in a healthy society!

Gender-based violence in the media

Our President has recently again called upon all men to start to do more to prevent violence against women and children. This comes after staggering statistics show that between 1 July 2021 and 30 September 2021, 9556 people were raped. Another horrific statistic: the child murder rate increases by 31.7% on a year-on-year basis. We need to do something to change this!

President Ramaphosa stated that, “These statistics are shameful. We are in the grip of a relentless war being waged on the bodies of women and children that, despite our best efforts, shows no signs of abating.” If we, as the people and country of South Africa, want to make a meaningful and impactful effort, then everyone needs to be involved in ending GBV. This is not a battle that only one person or group can fight. We all need to take hands and stand up against this abuse and violence. Together we can make a difference!

In a country with such horrifically high statistics of violence, it is not surprising that communities are taking justice into their own hands. A man accused of rape has recently been beaten to death. This is not the type of justice we are fighting for. We want to see justice done, and we want to see perpetrators held accountable and take responsibility for their actions. This is only possible if every sphere of society decides not to stand for the violence that is ravaging our beautiful country.

Events

On 2 December, Parliament will hold a plenary debate on the scourge of GBV and Femicide. Watch the debate live here: https://www.youtube.com/user/ParliamentofRSA.

In Closing:

It is vitally important for us to take a stand against GBV and for raising healthy children in healthy families. Our children are the future generations who will bear the responsibility to steward our country and the world – and who will one day pass the baton on to their own children.

There is no denying that we all have a part to play. One way is to help ensure South African children receive scientifically accurate and age-appropriate values-based sexuality education in schools. Do your part by supporting and joining us in our 16 Days of Activism campaign. Stand with us to end violence against women and children.

Together In Justice
Ryan and the CFJ Team

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