GOOD Statement by Brett Herron ,
GOOD Secretary General
12 December 2024
The GOOD Party has noted reports that Government’s Gender-based violence emergency helpline (0800 428 428) is no longer available.
This is a despicable failure by our government for which victims of GBV will pay the price.
The helpline is managed by the Department of Social Development and operates out of the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC).
Ahead of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children Campaign, GOOD called the number to confirm it was still operational before we continued to promote it on social media.
As GOOD we believe it is our social responsibility to work with government to actively address the GVB crisis we face as a county.
We have run an extensive paid-for community radio and social media campaign to empower communities and victims to assist the police in fighting GBV.
We launched our campaign on Women’s Day in 2022 and it continued to run in 2023 and 2024.
As GOOD, we encouraged people to break the silence that creates a space for impunity and traps women and children in desperate situations.
The campaign promoted the GBVCC number and was called Don’t Shut Up, Speak up!
On the 21st of November 2024, a polite social worker answered the number. He confirmed it was still operational and receiving a high volume of calls per day.
But by the end of the 16 Days Campaign, without any communication from the Department of Social Development, the line is dead.
However it appears we are not the only ones left in the dark.
During the Deputy President’s address on the 25th of November, he lauded the GBV Command Centre and telephonic support service saying it has ‘proven instrumental in helping victims and survivors.’
The Department of Social Development needs to urgently provide feedback on the status of this line.
For those who try to use the line to be left with nothing but silence is unacceptable.
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