Pietermaritzburg Agency for Community Social Action (PACSA) is a social justice organization that is appalled and deeply concerned by the increase of Gender-Based Violence in our country.

We see the tears and feel the pain of those affected and ask, what have become of our societies? What have become of men?

Every year, every month, every day and every eight minutes a woman is raped and killed by a man who says he loves her.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, once said, “if you are neutral in situations of injustices, you have chosen the side of the oppressors”. The month of July in South Africa is normally celebrated as “Men’s Month” and therefore as PACSA, we do not recognize the July celebrations as Men’s Month while we continue to experience high levels of femicide in our country. We are calling for #NOTOMEN”SMONT and that GBV should be on top of the agenda until we witness decrease on GBV.

PACSA has commenced the GBV Campaign with two events. The first event was a dialogue with 25 male participants from different communities within Pietermaritzburg. The second event was a picketing which took place in one of the busiest streets in Pietermaritzburg which was successfully attended by our community partners and collegial partners. We will continue conducting different programs throughout the month of July which are aimed at ensuring that everyone makes GBV a priority.