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In a prelude to the introduction of a motion concerning violence against women, the Revd Scott Holmes spoke and showed a video of a woman who had experienced both physical and psychological violence. Mr Holmes is Co-ordinator of the Northern Interfaith Respectful Relationships Project and has written a discussion paper on the role of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne in the primary prevention of violence against women. Sahar, the woman in the film, said she felt paralysed by the violence in her marriage. Her three children were depressed and damaged – one was suicidal. She felt she had to endure violence to shield them, hoping that if her husband harmed her, he might leave them alone. She felt faith leaders played a vital role in helping women in violent relationships; that was how she had found the strength to move out of her own situation.

The Northern Cape provincial government has lobbied the business sector to get involved in this year’s programme to fight against child and women abuse. The 16 Days of Activism against violence against women and children is normally observed from the end of November until December 10 each year. The month of November has been set aside as the time in which government and all other role players will raise awareness of gender-based violence against women and children countrywide.

There were no queues for the ladies’ room. That was unusual for an event attended by thousands but typical in the cybersecurity field where a futuristic image clashes with an old-fashioned gender gap. At cybersecurity and hacker gatherings, women are clearly in the minority among the sea of men lining escalators, filling hotel ballrooms and networking in hallways. (Some men grumbled about the lack of women at event parties). While the US government and private sector try to beef up cybersecurity efforts, the information technology field that supplies talent remains largely a male domain. Experts say the lack of women is not so much a matter of discrimination as that young women do not think of cyber as a career option. They attribute that partly to an unappealing “geek” image from movies and girls’ lack of early computer skills that boys develop by playing video games. The movie and TV stereotype of a nerd loner, wearing thick glasses, soldering circuits together and living in a dungeon-like room surrounded by computers and eating boxed pizza can be a deterrent.