If you’re on Twitter you’ve seen all the questions about the rape allegations against Julian Assange. People are asking — is what he did rape-rape? Conspiracy theorists scream that it is extremely convenient that these charges came up now, and others are saying that it’s not rape because all he did was lie about using […]
Jen Thorpe
Jennifer is a feminist, activist and advocate for women's rights. She has a Masters in Politics from Rhodes University, and a Masters in Creative Writing from UCT.
In 2010 she started a women's writing project called 'My First Time'. It focuses on women's stories of significant first time experiences. Buy the book on the site http://myfirsttimesa.com or via Modjaji Books.
Jen's first novel, The Peculiars, came out in February 2016 and is published by Penguin. Get it in good book stores, and on Takealot.com
Posted inEquality, News/Politics
What is a feminine vagina?
In Africa, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an estimated 92 million girls from 10 years of age and above have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM). Amnesty International estimates that 2 million involuntary circumcisions are being performed every year, mainly in Africa. This practice has no physical benefits for women, and can cause death. The details […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The first time I wore handcuffs
This is a less kinky story than you think it’s going to be, though I have another story involving some red fluffy handcuffs and some Spanish border checks but that is for another time. The images relating to the story I’m telling you now can be found on the My First Time website. The first […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The medical mutilation of women’s rights
When a woman goes into a hospital to have a baby, and is told that unless she agrees to being sterilised the doctors will not assist her, what should she do? Or when she goes in and is asked to sign a form for a Caesarean and comes out womb-less and confused what recourse does […]
Posted inGender violence, News/Politics
Is women murdering their partners an unreasonable response?
In the past few years the law has been evolving to give consideration and lighter sentences to women who murder their abusive partners. You could argue that these women did what any reasonable woman would do in the same circumstances. Let me be clear before the deliberate misreaders of my pieces accuse me of inciting […]
Posted inEquality, Lifestyle, News/Politics
Child brides, HIV and cultural rights
In South Africa, the tradition of ukuthwala allows parents to arrange marriages for their children. This tradition originated out of parents’ interest in securing a good home for their children, but has unfortunately evolved into something more similar to child trafficking. It is a dangerous form of GBV that pays little attention to the rights […]
Posted inGender violence, General, News/Politics
School sexual bullying: Where do we begin?
Education is one of the key Millennium Development Goals and it is critical to the development of South Africa’s democracy. The recent Jules rape case has brought the idea that our children aren’t safe in their schools to everyone’s attention. This case is particularly complex and horrifying because of the reported reactions of other learners […]
Posted inGender violence, News/Politics
Femicidal South Africa
The maximum sentence for femicide is only half the maximum sentence for fraud, yet 1 400 women die every year because they are murdered by their intimate partners. Powa brought this to our attention earlier this year with their video showing how people would respond to loud drums late at night, but they would not respond […]
Posted inGender violence, News/Politics
Rape culture — bad for you, bad for me, bad for everyone
I would argue that most South Africans have endured rape culture which allows violence to persist with little resistance. It’s undeniable that things aren’t right in South Africa when it comes to sexual violence. Last year’s crime stats show 68 332 reported “sexual offences” and this doesn’t account for the many offences which aren’t reported. There […]
Posted inGender violence, News/Politics
16 days of activism: Are we there yet?
Every year Women’s Day, Women’s Month and the 16 Days of Activism roll around and we hear some really great speeches from those in power. Every year, as these events tick by we see NGOs around the country rallying their troops to march, educate, inform and assist. Why? What are these days even about? Do […]
Posted inGender violence, News/Politics
Statutory rape screws the Jules case over
Hearing that the girl who was allegedly drugged, then gang raped, while being filmed by her peers had now been charged with statutory rape alongside her alleged rapists, I almost gave up hope. But then I realised that the sheer scale of this injustice is important because it will hopefully rally us to demand justice. […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Things have changed since 1957
The Sexual Offences Act of 1957 is old, outdated and has been amended. Preliminary findings of a research project presented at the National Working Group on Sexual Offences this week show that the police are blissfully and dangerously unaware of their new roles in relation to the Sexual Offences Act 32 of 2007. The new […]