Recently released statistics show that the fight against the abuse of our women and children is far from over. In fact, it appears that there has not been a significant decrease in sexual assaults, with women-headed urban households more likely to be attacked, and 43% of women reporting feeling unsafe.

As we prepare for the annual commemoration of the ‘16 Days of Activism’ campaign, it is clear that we need to redouble our efforts to keep our women and children safe. The recently released Victims of Crime Survey shows that we haven’t done enough yet to protect our women and children.

Crimes against our women and children should be rooted out, and this 16 days campaign certainly has value in again focusing our attention. However, our focus should extend to cover all 12 months of the year. We can do this by following basic safety tips and making sure we share these tips with our loved ones, and talk about safe personal habits throughout the year.

We recommend discussing and sharing the following pointers for women:

• It is of utmost importance to trust your instincts. If someone or something makes you feel uneasy, avoid the individual and leave the area.
• Make contact with your private security service provider and ask them if they offer a mobile panic alarm service, which could be downloaded to your mobile phone.
• Tell someone where you are going and the time you expect to return. Save to your mobile phone or memorise the details of the person to be contacted in the event of an emergency.
• Be aware of people around you when heading to your vehicle, especially at places such as shopping centres, petrol stations, and the likes.
• If you are driving, the first thing to do once you are inside your vehicle is to ensure that all the doors are locked. Never drive with a handbag or any other valuable items on a seat or in the view of anyone looking into your vehicle from the outside.

There are also safety tips which we should share with our children, to help keep them safe from harm:

• They must always walk to or from school with a friend or friends. Stick to streets they know and never take short cuts through quiet areas or empty parking lots and never walk with cell phones and iPads in full view.
• If they get picked up at school, they should never leave the premises but always wait inside the school grounds for their lift to arrive.
• They must never get into a stranger’s car; even if the stranger claims that someone they love is hurt and that they have been sent to pick them up.
• Consider using a password system. If the person coming to collect you from school cannot repeat the password you and your child agreed on, they should not get into the car but immediately ask for help.
• If a stranger approaches them, they should not talk to them no matter how friendly they may seem. If someone tries to grab them, they need to fight, kick and shout out that the person is not their mom or dad.
• If your child does encounter any suspicious activity, encourage them to get a good look and memorise their physical details and clothing, as well as the vehicle they are in.
• Make sure your children memorise their full names, address and phone number.

By exercising these precautions, we believe women and children can develop good safety habits that will assist them in avoiding dangerous situations.