Anti-violence campaign launches

Brothers Against Violence was launched in Sandton, Johannesburg, on 20 October 2010 and was attended by Ministers Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya and Brothers for Life ambassadors such as soccer star Matthew Booth, Lions rugby player Bandise Maku and musician Theo Kgosinkwe.

The launch included the first public screening of television public service announcement featuring well-known actor Patrick Shai. At the launch, he described how he has transformed himself from a wife-beater to an activist against gender-based violence.

Campaign strategy

The campaign, launched by Brothers for Life, the national men's movement, has a four-pronged strategy.

Mass media, including the Shai TV PSA, radio PSAs in six languages and a talk show linked to the new TV drama Intersexions on all SABC public broadcast service stations
Media advocacy, including using personalities to address various lifestyle issues
Community participation, in which approximately 100 community organisations will be involved
Partnerships with partners in the gender transformation field, government, LifeLine and SANCA

Studies had shown that one in four South African women experience violence at some point in their lives, that a woman is murdered by her intimate partner every six hours and 28% of South African men have admitted to sexually assaulting a woman and 75% of such men had done so by the age of 20.

Mayende-Sibiya called for a united response to gender-based violence and committed her ministry's support and that of the government as a whole, to the Brothers Against Violence campaign.