Constantly under attack

Sir,

When the protector becomes the perpetrator – family men, businessmen and other respectable citizens, all can never be trusted after the gruesome stories of how they’ve individually assaulted, raped, strangled or asked for sexual favours from women in return for money, a place to sleep, school fees or even any kind of help.

For a while these stories appear shocking to the public, but they have become part of the every day cycle of abuse for women being sexually exploited.

Rape

The country is in a depressing state with a sad façade of brittle beauty with no meaning. The beautification of cities, building roads, hotels and roundabouts have hidden the fact that Eswatini women are constantly under attack. Rape is an act of violence and domination, anger and misuse of power.

The motive for rape is the need to feel powerful and in control. Forcing someone to engage in sexual intercourse against her or his will is an act of violence and aggression. Sex is the weapon used to humiliate and control the victim. In most cases, the victim is powerless, helpless and in the mercy of the perpetrators. In some cases, the victim does not even know that she is being raped. She may know that she doesn’t like what is happening to her, but she doesn’t know that it is rape and that it is a crime.

Denial

A society in denial of the fact that there are grave violations of citizens’ security tries to justify rape and all other forms of sexual abuse by ignoring the fact that perpetrators very often are those who betray positions of trust in the family or community, such as immediate and extended family members, staff members in schools, clergy, politicians and personnel attached to the security forces than by a stranger.

Sometimes even the State itself rapes women by refusing to enact protection laws that have the potential to reduce incidences of abuse among its citizens. In many cases, the victims are not dressed indecently, nor are they at the wrong place at the wrong time, because that’s always the pathetic excuse. A clear imbalance of power relations is illustrated by the fact that the offenders are people of relative power and they claim that their power can make them do anything they want to the victim and their boyfriends.

Nomsa