MEDIA ADVISORY & INVITATION
SANAC CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM TO LEAD THE LAUNCH OF “LOVE PICKETING” SRHR CAMPAIGN IN DURBAN
The South African National AIDS Council Civil Society Forum (SANAC CSF), led by Cde Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, in her capacity as SANAC Co-Chairperson, supported by National Minister of Health Hon Joe Phaahla, KZN Premier Hon Nomusa Dube-Ncube and eThekwini Mayor Hon Mxolisi Kaunda, will launch the “Love Picketing” Campaign for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in Durban on Tuesday 20 June 2023 ahead of the opening of the 11th South African Aids Conference.
The launch will take the form of a march led by Cde Letsike where leaders from the different civil society sectors will converge at King Dinuzulu Park marching to Gugu Dlamini where a memorandum will be handed over to the Minister of Health.
The “Love Picketing” SRHR Campaign is a contribution of the SANAC CSF to the annual Sexual Reproductive Health and Healthy Lifestyle Campaign in South Africa, and it seeks to aid the effective implementation of the newly launched National Strategic Plan for HIV, TB and STIs 2023-2028.
The Campaign seeks to promote access to quality, equitable and convenient healthcare services on a range of SRHR aspects, including sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, voluntary medical male medical circumcision (VMMC), condoms and other forms of contraception, as well as youth and adolescent health services.
Members of the media are invited to cover the March as follows:
Date: Tuesday, 20 June 2023
Time: 09h00 AM – 12h00
Venue: The picket starts at King Dinuzulu Park, via Dr Pixley KaSeme Street (formerly West St) and will end at Gugu Dlamini Park, opposite the Workshop, Durban.
#ENDS#
For Media Enquiries Contact:
Nthateng Mhlambiso: Nthateng@sanaccsf.org.za – Mobile 072 715 5425
Nelson Dlamini: Nelson@sanac.org.za – Mobile: 078 731 0313
FACTS ABOUT “LOVE PICKETING” SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH & RIGHTS CAMPAIGN
KwaZulu-Natal comes second as a Province in South Africa with the highest burden of sexually transmitted Infections according to the National Department of Health’s update on STI epidemiology in South Africa 2023, followed by Westen Cape, while the Eastern Cape is on top of the list as the mostly burdened province.
In response, the South African National AIDS Council Civil Society Forum (SANAC CSF) has embarked on what we call the “Love Picketing” Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Campaign aiming to call for action to address challenges hindering progress in the application of sexual and reproductive health and rights including, access to quality, equitable and convenient health services for all.
South Africa has made strides to provide access to sexual and reproductive health commodities, but this access cannot be enjoyed without rights and comprehensive access for ALL, regardless of race, age, social status and gender expression.
As civil society organisations and activists in South Africa we are also concerned about the human rights situation in Uganda. On 29 May the Anti-Homosexuality Act (2023) was signed into law and already there are grave harms being reported: attacks, beatings, reported murders, rape, evictions, and more.
Community members are unable to seek healthcare services because of acute fear of being attacked by the public, arrested, reported in the media, or killed. This abhorrent law is an affront to our dignity and humanity. We are outraged by the silence of our government in response to this disgraceful law.
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights can only be enacted by following a gender transformative approach to building knowledge and skills that must be popularised within the communities that they should serve and embedding the principle of judgement free services across all healthcare and social service providers.
Sexual and Reproductive Health services are important tools to promote the well-being of men and women, including adolescent and young women, people living with HIV, sex workers, LGBTIQ+ and people with disabilities. They also contribute to empowerment of priority populations in that they enable them to exercise their rights and choices through informed decision making and control over own reproduction and sexuality.
The Civil Society led “Love Picketing” SRHR Campaign calls for, among others that:
- South Africa takes the necessary measures to prevent all forms of violence by eliminating the root causes of violence, including homophobic discrimination, preconceptions and stereotypes based on gender identity, real or perceived sexual orientation, and prejudices of masculinity and virility, irrespective of their source.
- South Africa takes measures to guarantee effective and timely access to justice for all victims of sexual violence and scale up models that work, such as Thuthuzela Care centres that provide a one-stop-point of care for survivors.
- National and local Campaigns address the root cause of violence against women and LGBTQI+ individuals, combat gender-based stereotypes, raise awareness of the unacceptable nature of this violence, and help people to understand that it represents a grave violation of the rights of all people in Africa.
- South Africa ensures that organisations engaged in SRHR service provision, education and advocacy are adequately resourced and directly participate in an ongoing manner in prevention activities, and in all stages of the development, implementation, and monitoring of national SRHR action plans
- Schools are safe spaces, and we therefore we call for swift access to justice for adolescent girls and young learners who fall pregnant. They should be comprehensively supported to complete their schooling, and where a teacher is implicated in a learner pregnancy legal redress must be swift.
- Hon Cyril Ramaphosa, as the President of the Country and as a Leader in African Union takes a stand and condemns human rights violations in Uganda.
We call it “Love Picketing” because we believe that application of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights FOR ALL is an act of love to protect humans that we love from STI’s, HIV and TB infections.
#PicketForLove
#CommunitiesMatter
#Zikhalakanjani