Marie Claire launches Right to Respect campaign

The magazine and the women took to the streets of Johannesburg and Cape Town in protest to address the various forms of abuse women all over the country endure on a daily basis, from sexual and domestic violence to misogyny and inequality in the workplace.

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The intention over the next month (in the build-up to 16 Days of Activism) is to get as many people as possible to sign the Right to Respect Manifesto, take a picture of themselves and their Manifesto and send it to the magazine.

"With this campaign, we are saying that we insist on respect not because we are women but because it is a basic human right," says activist and patron of the 1st for Women Trust, Zelda la Grange. "Sixteen days of activism every year is not enough, we need to be proactive for 365 days of every year."

Participants

• Gina Myers, Elizabeth Arden celebrity make-up artist
• Gugu Ndima, speaker for the Gauteng legislature and author
• Lauren Beukes, author of The Shining Girls
• Leigh-Ann Mol, 5fm newsreader
• Lindiwe Mazibuko, parliamentary leader for the Democratic Alliance
• Mabale Moloi, radio and TV personality
• Mara Glennie, founder of Tears Foundation - a support network for rape and sexual abuse
• Marianne Thamm, journalist
• Michelle Solomon, court reporter and rape and gender violence survivor and activist
• Pabi Moloi, radio and TV personality
• Robyn Farrell, executive head of 1st for Women Insurance
• Sarah Strydom, communications coordinator for The Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust
• Unathi Msengana, performer and radio and tv personality
• Verashni Pillay, associate editor at The Mail & Guardian
• Zelda la Grange, patron 1st for Women Trust

South Africa has the highest rate of gender-based violence in the world

Shocking statistics show that a woman is raped every four minutes in South Africa and only one in 25 rape cases are reported in Gauteng. In fact, South Africa has the highest rate of gender-based violence in the world - a poor patriarchal legal system and low rape convictions all ensure that South African women remain under threat of one form of abuse or another.

This is what the campaign wants to change. The Right to Respect campaign calls upon all South Africans - irrespective of race, gender, religion or social position - to take action against the abuse of our children, daughters, sisters and mothers.

"Strong South African women have said enough is enough," says Marie Claire editor, Aspasia Karras. "There has never been a more critical time for us to insist on respect in all spheres of our own households and all relationships."

To pledge support, go to www.marieclaire.co.za and sign the Right to Respect Manifesto to show that being a woman is not an invitation for violence. Supporters can also upload photographs of themselves with the manifesto and mail them to az.oc.aidemcossa@erialceiram to be displayed on the magazine's Facebook, Twitter, @marieclaire_sa (Hash Tag: #MCRespect) and Pinterest pages.