The Western Cape government kicked off Women’s Month in South Africa with a human chain around the oddities of the provincial legislature in Wale Street, in the Cape Town CBD. South Africa celebrates Women’s Day on 9 August as a public holiday. The picket was to highlight the scourge of gender-based violence and violence against women in South Africa, which is amongst the highest in the world

The event was the brainchild of Western Cape MEC (Member of Executive Council) for Social Development, Sharna Fernandez. Attendees lined the sidewalks on both sides of Wale Street , holding hands, lifting placards and singing the national anthems.

Alan Winde, Premier of the Western Cape attended the event with his staff and speaking about gender based violence said : “Unfortunately in the safety environment it’s gotten worse. Our GBV statistics are horrendous, our murder statistics are horrendous.”

MEC Sharna Fernandez said: “Sadly the numbers are not coming down. A woman gets killed every three hours in this country and we need to take a stand.”