The 25th of November marks the beginning of the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children. This is an international campaign aimed at generating an increased level of awareness relating to the incidence of violence against women and children, how it manifests itself within society and the negative impact on these vulnerable groups.

The duration of the campaign was chosen by participants of the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership in 1991. They linked the 25th of November, which is the International Day Against Violence Against Women, to the 10th of December, the International Human Rights Day, in order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasise that such violence is a violation of human rights.

You can support the campaign by wearing a white ribbon, a symbol of peace, during the 16-day period. By wearing the ribbon, you also symbolise your commitment to never commit or condone violence against women and children.

In this issue of Mbalo Brief, our educational article is based on the use of health facilities and levels of selected health conditions in South Africa. The article highlights the type of health facility used by households in South Africa. It also details several reasons why households choose not to use their nearest health facility as well as the reasons why some do not consult healthcare practitioners.

Look out for our new crossword puzzle on page iv as well as the solutions for October’s puzzle. Also included in this issue are articles summarising the performance of various industries such as mining, retail trade, food and beverages, tourist accommodation, to list a few.

Articles published in this issue are based on results of industry surveys conducted for the months between July and September 2013 which were released in October and November 2013. For detailed information on any of our articles, visit our website at www.statssa.gov.za

Enjoy your read!

Download Mbalo Brief – November 2013