NINETEEN motorcyclists are riding across nine Southern African countries to mobilise men and the private sector for action against gender-based violence.

The regional UN Women’s Office for Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, in partnership with Harley Davidson South Africa, embarked on this campaign.

The bikers will cover a total distance of 7 800 km. They started in Johannesburg and arrived in Windhoek yesterday, via the Buitepos border post.

The theme of the campaign is ‘Ride On – Speak out Men as Agents of Change’.

It forms part of the United Nations secretary general’s campaign to end violence against women and girls, which works with men as agents of change to commemorate the observance of this year’s 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence.

The campaign builds on the African Union’s policy commitments on ending violence against women and girls in the spirit of the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa and the AU Protocol on Women’s Rights in Africa.

The overall objective of the campaign is to address all forms of violence against women and girls in Africa through prevention, adequate response, policy development, implementation and ending impunity.