Munier returned this week from a visit to Turkey.
It’s a country half a world away, but with one chilling similarity to South Africa.
Flicking through the news channels over there, all the cameras were trained on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s high- profile talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow - this while the leaders of the G7 nations were busy meeting in France.
Big news, of course.
However, the only thing Turks could talk about was Emine Bulut - the shocking story of a 38-year-old mom who was slashed to death by her ex-husband in front of her 10-year-old daughter.
In a shocking video shared on social media - yes, someone recorded the slaughter and did nothing to stop it - the little girl can be heard crying “anne, lutfen olme” (mommy, please don’t die).
The child’s plea has since become a rallying cry and hashtag for Turkey’s anti-femicide movement.
According to “We Will Stop Femicide”, a women’s rights group, 245 women have been killed in Turkey in the first seven months of 2019.
So what’s that got to with us and our problems here in South Africa, you may ask.
Why care about Emine Bulut when we have victims of our own: Sadiqah Newman; Denushe Witbooi; Meghan Cremer; Lynette Volschenk; Janika Mello; Leighandre Jegels; Uyinene Mrwetyana; and Jesse Hess.
I NTERNATIONAL PROBLEM: Women raped, killed
Well, the point that occurred to Munier is: This scourge is not unique to SA, not at all.
The culture of murder, rape, physical and psychological abuse, disrespect, degradation and gender inequality is an international problem.
And who is responsible for creating and perpetuating these social evils? Us men.
So, if we are to ever, ever address this issue, this must be the starting point.
We, as men, collectively need to take responsibility for this world in which women live in constant fear and suffer daily injustice.
There can be no more excuses. There can be no talk of short skirts, make-up, flirtatious behaviour, or “asking for it”.
Not at this time, not anymore.
In our actions, in our words, in our homes, in our communities, schools and places of work, we as fathers, brothers and sons must be the change.
Us men must live, practise and teach a culture of equality and respect for women to our children.
But in the meantime, what does government do to avert this crisis of gender-based violence?
Yesterday, President Cyril Ramaphosa faced up to a crowd of thousands of demonstrators at the gates of Parliament, where he said “enough is enough”.
And that government would mete out the harshest punishment possible to rapists and killers.
Short of supporting calls for the death penalty, he said: “We will be advocating and changing the laws so that once you have raped a woman you get life. And life must mean life.
“If you are arrested for rape or killing a woman, you must get no bail. If you have raped and killed a woman, there should never be any parole.
BRUTAL: Emine Bulut slashed to death in front of her child
“Because men who rape women, who kill women, do not belong in society. They belong behind bars.”
Do you believe harsher sentences will be an effective deterrent to perpetrators of violence against women?
Rek Jou Bek on 33258 or on WhatsApp 078 750 5627.