Rape culture must be destroyed
EVERYONE knows someone who has been a victim of rape or sexual violence: sisters, friends, co-workers, cousins, or neighbours.
Crime and violence, of course, are the most talked-about issues in our nation. But rape is rarely a part of this dialogue, and even less often confronted with real solutions.
It is as if we want to deny its existence. It might seem unthinkable to many of us, but it is a grim reality that exists every day.
The truth is that violence comes closer to many families than we would like to admit. Rape is one of South Africa’s dark little secrets.
Just listen to radio talk shows and read newspapers every day and you will never miss a discussion about why we are frustrated at why this kind of violence continues.
Rape is a violent crime. Allegations of rape merit serious attention, not scorn.
It leaves victims in a state of trauma. It merits universal condemnation.
There is no apology sincere enough to make up for rape. It is a vicious crime, a violation of a woman’s very being. It is not about sex, but about intimidation and subjugation. Victims often are scarred for life.
Rape is one of the world’s most common human rights abuses. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has found that domestic and sexual violence affects 30% to 60% of women in most countries. Women worldwide aged 15 through to 44 are more likely to die or be maimed because of male violence than because of cancer, malaria, war and traffic accidents combined.
The WHO says it is estimated that more than 40% of South African women will be raped in their lifetime, and that only one in four rapes are reported.
It is also estimated that only 14% of perpetrators of rape are convicted in South Africa.
Indeed discussions say victims commonly feel ashamed after being attacked. There is guilt and questions such as: Did I ask for it? Did I lead him on? Did I secretly want to be assaulted? Was I careless by being alone?
Also, it is often said that victims of sexual violence are victimised twice, first by the assault itself, and then by would-be helpers – unsympathetic police officers, insensitive medical personnel, and an unresponsive legal system.
Rape affects us all. It demands a solution that involves us all, from the ways in which our laws have been written right down to the ways in which parents teach children to think about gender violence.
To counter rape, we must first get the issue out of the closet.
Then, we must help women find their way out of brutal environments and join together to prevent such abuse from occurring in the first place.
But we can’t stop there. When a woman is a victim of rape, she must have somewhere safe to go. We need to establish and expand counselling hotlines so that experienced professionals can guide victims to an appropriate place.
The healthcare profession has an important role to play as well. Every doctor, nurse, physician’s assistant and social worker should report symptoms of rape.
Indeed, psychologists say to deal most effectively with rape and recover from it women must take an active role in acknowledging the rape; disclosing the incident to appropriate others, finding help and preventing further attacks.
If we are to stop the scourge of rape, each of us has an obligation to acknowledge it occurs, recognise it when we see it and speak out against it.
Such involvement can’t be limited to special meetings and workshops. It has to take place in everyday settings like our homes, workplaces, professional clubs, associations, stokvels and many other gatherings.
Rape is a social sickness. It destroys families and teaches violence to future generations. It’s often too easy to overlook it, turn the other way, regard it exclusively as a matter between two individuals or couple, pretend we don’t have any responsibility.
Our job is to find rape of any kind in any place unendurable. If we are to stop the rape culture from escalating further, it’s all of us who will have to do it.
Phumulo Masualle is premier of the Eastern Cape. Follow him on @EC_Premier