‘Tips’ for rapists
What will it take for Botswana to shed its ‘dark’ label of being a very rapey country? Rapists, yes, rapists, pay attention! When you venture out to look for victims, please keep this in mind.
When you see a woman in a short dress, look away, in fact run away. Scream for help and alert other people that you are about to commit rape. Most definitely, someone will come to your rescue. Do not, I repeat, do not corner her, unbutton your pants and roll down the zipper. The fact that she is wearing a short dress does not mean she is asking to be raped. It is just that she prefers, loves and enjoys putting on a mini skirt. Do not come up with a perverse reason why you should rape her. It is high time that society changes sexual violence prevention messages to focus on perpetrators and not the victim. When you carry out an act of rape, you have made a conscious decision to do so. In the same manner, make a decision not to rape.
Why should a woman or girl change her style of dressing because of you? Society should know that you are the problem, not her.
Instead of telling women and girls not to walk unaccompanied at night so that they are not raped, we should make rapists aware that when a woman or girl walks alone at night, they are not asking to be raped. Just as rapists make a conscious decision to drag a woman into the bush to rape her, they should be able to make a decision to escort her to a place of safety. Why is society still quick to come up with reasons that suggest that rapists are justified to commit a crime of rape?
Why should society still be engrossed in the thinking that victims must have done something that could have caused them to be raped? When you decide to buy a girl or woman drinks or gifts for that matter, this is not your license to violate them sexually. A ‘no’ is never a ‘yes’.
Trust me, if you take heed of these tips, you will never see yourself on the other side of the law. Please do not be a man who makes women and girls feel unsafe in their community. Do not instill anxiety and fear.
Do not invade their space and make unsolicited, annoying advances. Never threaten violence against women and girls. When you have an urge to rape, scream for help.
Rather, like the Holy Book says, if your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away.