Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, has emphasised the important role of the faith sector to communicate on gender-based violence and femicide issues beyond theology and scripture. Letsike was speaking at the launch of the joint Interfaith Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention and Mitigation Strategy 2024-2030, held at Bah'I National Centre in North Riding, Johannesburg, on Thursday. The Interfaith GBV Prevention and Mitigation Strategy aims to transform harmful social, cultural, and religious norms that perpetuate violence and seeks to establish faith-based communities as safe spaces for sanctuary, care, and healing. The strategy outlines a clear vision for an inclusive and peaceful South Africa that is free from gender-based violence and femicide, with faith leaders playing a pivotal role in driving the transformation agenda. In her address, Letsike underscored that addressing the scourge of gender-based Violence and Fe micide (GBVF) in South Africa requires an all-of-society approach, as 'no single stakeholder has the capacity to rid society of this challenge'. She commended the faith-based sector for embracing the thinking and organising efforts to fight the scourge. 'Religious formations have an inherent and multifaceted role to cater for the material circumstances of their believers directly beyond the spiritual. By addressing both the material and spiritual needs of individuals, religious institutions contribute significantly to the well-being of communities and the promotion of social justice. 'You have a dual role as the interfaith sector, [which] speaks about your role in spiritual healing and spiritual pathway, but also the material support that ensures that religion remains a vital force in the lives of our communities that is located within,' Letsike said. This, she said, includes obligations, and/or principles of the religious fraternity to host charitable activities and social services toward the well-being of the surrounding community; and create social support networks, providing financial help, employment opportunities, and other material assistance to community members in need beyond its membership. 'Spearhead economic empowerment initiatives, such as microfinance programmes, vocational training, cooperatives and business development, helping individuals and communities achieve financial independence; offer spiritual comfort and psychological support that can help individuals cope with material hardships including GBVF for women; [and] advance social and economic justice, challenging systems of oppression that contribute to poverty and inequality,' the Deputy Minister said. Letsike also noted the religious fraternity has an inherent responsibility to cater to all members of society, including women, youth, people with disabilities, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more (LGBTQIA+) community. 'Religion is one of the first lines of defense women in the ir diversity have against all forms of discrimination along the lines of gender, sexual orientation, and identity, as this sector plays a crucial role in crafting society's norms and values. 'The religious fraternity should [also] be an active agent and centre to facilitate change toward addressing the social ills that we face as a country. This includes the rampant poverty, inequality and unemployment that plagues our nation, and more specific to women, the high levels of GBVF, homophobia, sexism, patriarchy, and other gendered social ills,' she said. Reinforce positive masculinity The Deputy Minister reiterated that religious formations have a responsibility to teach men and boys how to relate with women in a healthy way, saying 'this starts in the family, particularly how we raise our girls and boys.' 'It is the responsibility of society, inclusive of the religious fraternity, to reinforce positive masculinity. Men should know it is ok to cry, men can be vulnerable and being in touch with one's emotion s is manly. This fight against gender-based violence requires that all leaders in society play their part, from religious leaders, traditional leaders and to all formations in society,' Letsike said. Source: South African Government News Agency