By Esmeralda Sayagues Several South African universities have recently been rocked by student protests deploring the high incidence of campus rape and sexual violence. The students have demanded that universities implement fair procedures that yield justice for complainants and punishment for offenders. In order to address these issues it is useful to look at the […]
Gender violence
Posted inGender violence
Rape is not…
Rape is not something that can be avoided by good behaviour. Rape is not something that is brought about by a woman’s “bad” behaviour. Rape is something that a rapist chose to do. Rape can happen to anyone. The only person responsible for a rape is a rapist. Rape is not your fault. Rape […]
Posted inEquality, Gender violence, News/Politics
Outlaw speech: Contesting sexual coercion on campus
To law falls the privilege of demarcating and controlling a particular territory as its own. That which it cannot, or will not, claim is pushed beyond its borders to become that which is without law – or outlaw. This is one way to think about the release of a list of men accused of rape […]
Posted inGender violence
A response to Charlene Smith’s #RUReferenceList Facebook post
This post is written from a position of deep respect. I have followed Charlene Smith’s writing and activism for years, and have nothing but admiration for her. Her work has revolutionised the way hospitals treat rape survivors and she has been instrumental in getting antiretrovirals administered after sexual assaults. Her writing has helped thousands of […]
Posted inEquality, Gender violence, General, News/Politics
#RUReferenceList could prove crucial in influencing the rape conversation
Is the time for South Africa to have the difficult discussion about rape finally here? Is it now time to do our utmost to provide protection and care for survivors and those vulnerable? The release of a list of 11 male students accused of sexual assault at Rhodes University, and subsequent protests by students, could […]
Posted inGender violence
In solidarity with women who speak out
This morning I woke up and like most people logged onto Facebook — out of habit. I saw a friend’s status about a reference list. I naively thought she was referring to her PhD reference list. I made a glib comment with an emoji and scrolled down for more news. The next status I saw […]
Posted inGender violence
Rape, the South African nightmare
By the time I was in matric three of my friends had told me they had been raped. Not by strangers in some dark alley the way I imagined rape happened. They were raped by people who were in their inner circle: friends, acquaintances. When I was in Grade 11 someone I knew was gang […]
Posted inGender violence, News/Politics
The horror of how our children die, I see it every day
Last week we heard of a teenager who went missing while running with her dog and family in Cape Town and was found murdered a few hours later. It’s a terrible story, the stuff of every parent’s absolute worst nightmare. We have all briefly lost sight of our children in a supermarket, at the park, […]
Posted inEquality, Gender violence, News/Politics
Men will never stop hurting us
As a child, I thought that grownups weren’t afraid of anything. They killed spiders. They didn’t believe in monsters and ghosts. They weren’t scared of dogs or the dark or the deep end of the swimming pool. Of all the disappointing discoveries of adulthood, the realisation that grownups are in fact very frightened very often […]
Posted inEquality, Gender violence, Health, Lifestyle
Virginity bursaries: Weighing the pros and cons
By Nandisa Tushini The recent outrage over the bursary scheme that seeks to fund those who can prove their virginity – the “maiden bursary” – is controversial but not without its merits. Despite some support from young women, many organisations such as People Opposing Women Abuse, Lawyers for Human Rights, feminist groups and even the […]
Posted inEquality, Gender violence, Health
Why we need LGBTI hate crime laws
By Oliver Meth and Bongani Sibeko South Africa was the first country in the world to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation. It was the first country in Africa, and the fifth worldwide, to legalise same-sex marriage. This places South Africa at the forefront of global efforts to adopt a comprehensive rights-based approach to the […]
Posted inEquality, Gender violence
Hostile response to #ForBlackGirlsOnly shows why we need it
With all the racial tension brewing over the past few months it’s no surprise that an event called #ForBlackGirlsOnly has caused a stir. Many think the event counters nation-building in a time when people are losing their jobs over racial slurs, and the amount of melanin you have can trigger an online shouting match. This […]