Africa’s telecommunication giant MTN through its foundation the MTN SA Foundation has organized a Women’s Day event in celebration of Women’s Month.
During the event, R250 000 was donated by MTN SA Foundation to Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre to fund and strengthen the organisation’s mandate of promoting access to justice for women who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing gender based violence.
Women leaders of South Africa who were present at the event spoke distinctly to the women on overcoming the power of gender based violence dwelling in their midst.
Amongst other speakers at the event was the honorable Minister of Women in the Presidency, Susan Shabangu, who has always maintained that a greater determination is required by society in dealing with women and child abuse, and spoke about the role of government and corporates in ending this scourge on society.
According to Kusile Mtunzi-Hairwadzi, the General Manager of MTN SA Foundation, the decision of partnering with Tshwaranang is to enhance a joint agreement towards positive solutions that will bring about a change on gender-based violence, by using the influence of their brand name, technology, and legal framework.
“As the country celebrates Women’s Month, it is important for the private sector to find ways of using the ubiquity of our brands and resources to help resolve this issue. Violence against women and children is one of the world’s worst forms of discrimination and abuse of human rights, as it targets the most vulnerable members of society.
It is for this reason that the MTN SA Foundation themed this year’s celebration: We are not survivors. We are warriors, in a call to society to shun gender-based violence in all its manifestations. We hope that the humble contribution we have made will go a long way towards alleviating the plight of vulnerable women,” says Mtunzi-Hairwadzi.
She added that MTN has instituted various partnerships with government and civil society to find practical and lasting solutions to gender based violence in time past.
“MTN is acutely sensitive to the plight of the communities it operates in. Our decision to support Tswaranang has been informed by our quest to provide a tangible and lasting intervention for the survivors of domestic abuse. We believe that this gesture will provide a much-needed lifeline to those at the receiving end of the unwarranted violation of their dignity,” concludes Mtunzi-Hairwadzi.
