Durban — Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu relaunched the SheDecides movement initiated in 2018, which aimed to ensure that every girl and woman had the right to make decisions concerning their bodies, lives and future.
The SheDecides movement brings together the government, non-government organisations and donors to stand up for bodily autonomy, and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, Zulu said the programme intended to create an environment that enabled young females to make the right choices in life.
“We therefore, urge all community members to adopt the programme because it can never be effective without them,” she said.
Zulu said everyone needed to help increase awareness of reproductive rights and alcohol abuse, said Zulu.
Although the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children had ended, that did not mean that the issues should be swept under the carpet.
“These are the issues that need to be addressed 365 days a year. Organisations such as churches need to constantly talk about such challenges which are directly affecting their congregants and community members,” said Zulu.
The latest report by Statistics South Africa, “The Young and Restless-Adolescent Health in South Africa”, shows that children and adolescents (10–19 age group) represented a significant proportion of the population at 17.4%.
The report highlights that adolescents face many challenges such as mental health issues, alcohol and drug use, and early and unprotected sex, which carries a high risk of infection by HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, as well as teenage pregnancy.
Zulu said the Social Development Department had discovered that alcohol was one of the most used drugs in the country.
“There is nothing (wrong) with young people celebrating their achievements, and moving into a new stage in life. The mistake that they make is abusing alcohol – that is a threat to their lives. We also warn parents against consuming alcohol in the sight of their children. They must also be very concerned when their children are not at home or when they come back home intoxicated,” she said.
The SheDecides Movement complements initiatives such as Chommy and YOLO, with a focus on teenage pregnancy hot spots across the country.
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