Sexual violence under the spotlight

“WE SHOULD stop policing women, questioning their choices and condemning the way they dress; the blame for sexual violence lies with the perpetrator.”

So says Aids Healthcare Foundation policy and advocacy manager, Larissa Klanzinga.

Klanzinga was at a dialogue about sexual violence on campus, held at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) yesterday.

DUT registrar, Professor Thenjiwe Meyiwa, recalled a conversation she had had with vice chancellor, Professor Ahmed Bawa that in five years there had been no incident of sexual violence, assault or harassment reported at the institution.

This, said Meyiwa, was concerning because it pointed to either there being no incidents, which was unlikely, or that incidents were being swept under the carpet.

It was to establish a platform to report such cases that a partnership with DUT, UKZN, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, McGill University in Canada, Agenda Feminist Media and the International Centre for Non-violence was born.

First year students at DUT, Thulisile Buthelezi and Snethemba Langa are members of the programme.

Langa said some of the factors intimidating women into silence were fear of not being believed, and pity and love towards the perpetrator.

This was especially problematic in situations where they were victimised while intoxicated, or by family members, said Buthelezi.

Nokuthula Magudulela is a mentor with the programme .

She said the aim of the programme was to facilitate girlled intervention, empowering the young women and creating safe spaces where they could talk about issues related to sexual violence.

Magudulela said this was particularly important in the university community, where some women were out on their own for the first time.

“Some sexual violence has come to be treated as normal.

“The comments, whistling and looks; it does not mean just because you haven’t been touched, you haven’t been violated.”