GOSA: I Am Every Woman Campaign – 2019

Not being a victim is much more than blind good fortune or being able to defend yourself. It is a choice you make. It is a state of mind. All women – from girls as young as 12 to women in their twilight years – need to make their own safety a priority. The I Am Every Woman campaign includes ladies that have been victims in the past, and don’t want to be victims again. It also for ladies that have never been victims, and don’t want to be victims. I Am Every Woman includes ladies of all ages, nationalities and all walks of life who care about their own and their family’s safety. 

Why are we hosting the GOSA Girls On Fire I Am Every Woman and our Ladies Top Shot events on 26 of January 2019?

South Africa is one of the most crime-ridden and violent countries in the world (not engaged in a declared war), and as women being directly responsible for our children and families we are also among the most marginalised portions of the population in this regard. According to the newest South African Institute of Race Relations report (based on SAPS Annual Reports), both murders and sexual offences against women have increased from the period 2006/7 to the period 2016/7. Murders perpetrated against women have increased from 2601 for the period 2006/7, to 2633 for the period 2016/7 – an increase of 1.2%. Sexual offences against women have increased a whopping 8%, from 34 816 in the period 2006/7 to 37 617 in the 2016/17 period.

In a nutshell, the crime statistics applying to women are as follows:

Murder – 2 633

Attempted Murder – 3 323

Sexual Offences -37 617

Serious Assault – 51 946

Common Assault – 78 081

The GOSA Girls On Fire I Am Every Woman campaign aims to empower women emotionally, mentally and physically by showing them an alternative to victimhood, and by providing them with a way to legally defend themselves, their children and their families against the rampant crime in South Africa.  

A firearm coupled with the right mindset is the only way that a woman can protect herself effectively from someone bigger, stronger and meaner, or several such miscreants! The police are not there when these crimes are committed – they never can be. The criminal chooses the time and place of the attack, and they choose to attack when there is no obvious protection around. 

Firearms are the most effective way to safely and efficiently defend yourself against a much stronger predator. As equal as people like to think the sexes are, biology defies politically correct ideals. A firearm is the method that can be used most effectively to end a conflict before it erupts into violence (the mere production of a firearm is often enough to nip an attack in the bud) – if you don’t look like a victim, you probably won’t become a victim. If the attack commences nonetheless, you have the mindset and means to fight back!

The I Am Every Woman campaign will kick off with a bang (in fact, many of them, literally) early this year with a twofold program.

Firstly, we will be running a Ladies Top Shot Competition on the 26th of January 2019 at the Cecil Payne Shooting Range in Roodepoort. It will be open for everyone – from lady novice shooters, to women who have never handled a gun before, to women sport shooters. It will be a fun way for ladies to get together for the day. The competition will be run by lady Range Safety Officers and a highly experienced lady Match Director. 

The following stages have been confirmed: 

–          IDPA (International Defensive Pistol Association) – a general pistol stage

–          SADPA – a general DMG (Defensive Multi Gun) stage

–          IPSC (International Practical Shooting Confederation) – a general pistol stage

–          One or two steel challenge stages

–          A military Combat Rifle stage

–          A pins stage

–          A sporting shotgun only stage

–          Truvelo 50 cal & .308 sniper rifle stages. 

Our cameo and meme competition was very successful in 2016, and it will be a countrywide competition again in 2019. Women who submit memes and cameos stand a chance to win some great prizes.

The memes and cameos concentrate on the South African situation, and must be original. Memes are funny, short graphics regarding ladies and firearms, while the cameos are more serious descriptions of why you would need a gun as a South African lady – the latter is more personal. 

After the event we will be hosting a gala evening at Eagle Canyon Country Club. There will be a prize-giving and lucky draws, and an opportunity for novice and entry-level shooters to mingle with sport shooters. 

We would like to thank all our very generous sponsors: Kalahari Arms, Bellum Arcus, Nicholas Yale, Truvelo, Blu Logistics, Euro Optic, Tac SHAC, MantisX, Kalahari Lifestyles, Safari & Outdoor, Tork Craft, Msoftware, Kelso, Shooting Stuff, IBO Data, Piet Van Wyk De Vries, Roger Snelgar, Wild Hospitality, Cerberus Tactical, Bernhard Agencies, Spar Radiokop, Spar Northwold, Guns Galore, Susan Benade, Defensive West, Matoska Tactical, Lion Mountain Media t/a Aquavision TV Productions. If I have omitted anyone from this list it is a regretable oversight on my behalf, and I apologise profusely.

Written by Lynette Oxley