Advocate Tarisai Mchuchu-MacMillan
Executive Director, Mosaic training Service AND Healing centre for WOMEN
Glamour: Eliminating rape culture and GBV requires a transformative shift. Do you think society’s capable of that?
Tarisai Macmillan: In my opinion, you have to look at normalising talking about violence against women and girls at home. If you look at the statistics, most rape victims know their attacker, many even share a close or familial relationship with that person – that’s where the work’s needed. Families need to speak out and against abuse within their homes, and parents needn’t apologise for creating boundaries for their children, girls and boys, when it comes to their interactions with adult family members and friends. But at the moment, domestic violence is kept private, allowing rape culture and GBV to thrive.
G: In your opinion, what are the root causes of GBV?
TM: I’m honestly at a loss as to what that is in our society. I could give you textbook answers: poverty, disempowerment, disenfranchisement as a result of Apartheid. But that would imply that black and poor men are the perpetrators, whereas we know that in South Africa, they’re black, white, Indian and Asian, rich and poor. I think it has more to do with power, patriarchy and harmful ideas about women, and anyone considered less than because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. GBV in this country is shocking, and how violence is so rampant in this country suggests to me that men do it because they can.
“A rape victim shouldn’t have to carry the burden of being attacked”
– Tarisai Macmillan
G: Do you believe that perpetrators of GBV can rehabilitate?
TM: Yes. But victims must receive justice, and their attackers must rehabilitate as part of the process of justice and not as a way to escape it.
G: Does society know enough?
TM: I think there’s enough high-quality GBV education material, but it isn’t spread around all sectors enough, private and public, for it to change the behaviour of would-be perpetrators, empower women and prevent violence. Education for all employees of various corporations around GBV should be mandatory, and we must teach young boys from the primary school level. Knowledge of your rights and how to spot a potential attacker is empowering and can help prevent GBV. Gender transform at iv ea nd sensitisation education is crucial.
G: What’s sustaining rape culture in our society?
TM: I think we’ve accepted that rape happens in our society, and we treat violence as private, allowing rape culture to thrive. We need to be open with our youth and children about sex – the good, the bad and the ugly – so that they understand the difference between positive and negative. Then they’ll know how to behave in a way that’s non-toxic and harmless. Parents shouldn’t make their daughters feel like everything sexrelated is their responsibility because a rape victim shouldn’t have to carry the burden of being attacked by an uncle, cousin, father or brother.