On behalf of all the women of South Africa, especially those who have been directly affected by gender based violence:  a big applause to everyone at Sonke Gender Justice Network – we salute you! There are few things in life as beautiful and awe inspiring as a group of courageous men standing up for the rights of women.  In a country with extraordinary high levels of gender violence it is a victory that will bring hope and much needed belief in the South African  judicial system.

The journey started on 22 January 2009: while addressing 150 Cape Peninsula University of Technology students Julius Malema, ANC Youth League president, suggested that the woman who accused ANC president Jacob Zuma of rape had a “nice time” with him and said, “when a woman didn’t enjoy it, she leaves early in the morning. Those who had a nice time will wait until the sun comes out, request breakfast and ask for taxi money.”

During March 2009: our partner, Sonke Gender Justice Network took action in response to ANC Youth League President Julius Malema statements by taking the matter to the Equality Court.  Sonke said that they believe that Malema’s statements reinforce rape myths and that they constitute hate speech, unfair discrimination and harrassment.

On 15 March 2010: “The Johannesburg Equality Court on Monday ruled that Julius Malema is guilty of hate speech, has no protection in terms of freedom of speech provisions, denigrated women in general, added to the rape problem in South Africa, and must apologise.” The Daily Maverick Malema was also ordered to pay R50 000 to People Opposing Women Abuse .

Follow the link and watch a snippet of the case here:  Sonke Gender Justice takes Julius Malema to the Equality Court .

***

Two weeks ago, on International Women’s Day (8 March), a woman was assualted by two men outside the gates of a huge corporate company in South Africa.   Read More…

Posted under Gender equality, Post-rape care

There is still so much human trafficking happening around the world, that it is absolutely incredible that people know so little about it.

Sex Tourism is when tourists, mostly men, engage in sex-trafficking by purposely traveling to known sex destinations (usually under-developed and poor nations), seeking anonymity in pornography or prostitution, or engaging in pederasty with young children and homosexuality with young and older adults. Many of these victims were either sold into the trade or kidnapped and forced into sex-slavery (this is called human-trafficking).

I would like to draw your attention to the following South African website, STOP.

According to STOP, “People are mainly trafficked and enslaved as sex workers but also as forced labourers, child brides and as soldiers. This is fact. Of the 600-800’000 people smuggled over international borders annually, 75% are used for sex trafficking.”

Keep your eyes and ears open, folks, and if you find out that someone has been kidnapped and is being used for human-trafficking, or hear rumours that someone is involved as a trafficker, or has been forced into sex-slavery or prostitution, please report it to the relevant authorities.

This following Animated Information Video was created by Firestorm Production for STOP Human Trafficking’s 2010 Human Traffic campaign. All performers are pupils of Jan van Riebeeck Primary School in Cape Town, South Africa. Please watch it!

Kids on Human Trafficking in SA

Posted under Everything Else

We’ve had merchandise available online for quite some time but the prices, including S/H, were pretty prohibitive. Fortunately we found a new provider that lets us sell shirts at much lower rates.

A regular T-Shirt will now sell for $12.99 plus $5 S/H. That’s a full $11 less than with our former provider.

We have many different styles including 100% cotton tees, vnecks, sleeveless, ringers, baseball and cap sleeve shirts for both men and women. Shirts are available with our Ubuntu Now and South Africa Project logos, as well as with our tag clouds.

The new online store also has full customization options–want a different shirt color? Want the logo in a different place? Design however you like.

This is the time to spread the word and let your friends know about the store. At these rates even we can afford to shop

Posted under Everything Else

We are proud to announce long-established household cleaning brand Carbona as our first corporate sponsor.

As part of their “Carbona Cares” program, Carbona has donated $10,000 to Ubuntu Now. The funds will be used to sponsor both a full-time community mobilizer and a clinic help desk worker in South Africa over a 10 month period. Both professionals are employed by Ubuntu Now’s local sister organizations, the Sonke Gender Justice Network and Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Program (TVEP).

Carbona’s name is closely tied to the campaign in a sincere effort to address some of the most pressing issues in South Africa, with the goal of launching a number of similar partner programs that provide value to both Carbona’s sponsors and, most importantly, Ubuntu Now’s objectives.

First, “Carbona Cares” will sponsor a Sonke Gender Justice Network staff member to promote and implement their One Man Can campaign. The sponsored community mobilizer will work to:

•    Educate men to stand against violence against women, both personally and within their own community

•    Increase men’s understanding and support of gender equality

•    Mobilize the public, private and non-government organization (NGO) sectors to encourage men’s greater involvement in HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support activities.

In addition, the community mobilizer will conduct weekly workshops to further promote these goals.

Second, videos will also be filmed by a “Carbona Cares” sponsored help desk advisor at TVEP. They will conduct monthly interviews covering topics such as sexual assaults, HIV, access to justice and use of female condoms.  The help desk advisor will be talking to rape victims, program directors and clinic help desk advisors in rural South Africa.

Watch this blog and/or our Facebook fan page for updates directly from the community mobilizers!

The digital cameras that will be used for this project were generously provided by Eastman Kodak.

Posted under Everything Else

Here’s a weird bit of news that’s sure to affect people’s experience at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in a few months: A company called the Kelp Environmental Learning Project (K.E.L.P) has introduced an environmentally friendly vuvuzela.  Here’s a video about it:

Apparently the group, based in Kommetjie, South Africa, use dried kelp horns to create vuvuzelas which are painted and branded.

I’m still not entirely convinced that vuvuzelas should be allowed at the World Cup matches, but if you insist on bringing one, now you have a cool “green” option. And heck, I bet you can make a nice bowl of soup out of it when your done too!

Posted under 2010 World Cup

We’ve recently launched a “Wall of Supporters” on the website for our 2010 FIFA World Cup-centric initiative, South Africa Project.

A minimum of ten dollars buys you a spot on the wall. In exchange for your donation, your personal avatar is posted and provides some visibility for your online presence including a searchable URL. Via use of rollovers, other wall viewers are able to access your customizable profile, personal website, Facebook page,Twitter feed, etc.

One of the reasons Ubuntu Now launched South Africa Project is our conviction that in addition to enjoying the World Cup,  fans and non-fans alike should use this time of celebration to make a contribution and show their support for the people of South Africa– after all, it would be a travesty to gloss over the country’s issues at this crucial time.

Even the minimum $10 donation to the South Africa Project goes a long way. A $70 contribution provides a community with a rape prevention education and promotion kit, $400 can put a community mobilizer to work, and $1,000 sponsors a comprehensive community workshop on the subject. More information can be found at the website for One Man Can, the initiative spearheaded by sister organization in South Africa, Sonke Gender Justice. Read More…

Posted under 2010 World Cup, Everything Else

In November of 2008, Ubuntu Now announced a partnership with Sonke Gender Justice– a South African organization that promotes social awareness of gender issues relating to the local HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Today, we are pleased to introduce a new member of the Ubuntu Now / South Africa Project network: the Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Program [TVEP].

Like Sonke Gender Justice, TVEP focuses on raising awareness for social issues surrounding HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Whereas Sonke Gender Justice’s ‘One Man Can‘ initiative places its attention on male education and Rape Prevention, TVEP takes a look at the other side of the equation. Their admirable focus is on building a supportive, educational, and healing environment for the victims of rape– as well as those of HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, and child abuse. Furthermore, they have localized their efforts to the munincipality of Thohoyandou in South Africa’s Limpopo province. Read More…

Posted under Gender equality, HIV / AIDS, Post-rape care

It is with disgust and incredulity that I read daily about the heinous crime of “corrective rape” that is still taking place on the streets of South Africa, especially in the “African Townships” (basically poorer suburbs inhabited by Africans, such as Soweto, Gugulethu, Langa, Kayalitsha etc.) Corrective rape is “the rape of a lesbian by a man either to punish her or cure and correct her sexual orientation”.

Despite South Africa having a very liberal constitution, which forbids discrimination against LGBTs ( Lesbians, gays, Bisexuals and Transgendered persons), lesbian women are constantly being targeted in hate crimes, where the aim is for lesbian women, especially “butch” women to be beaten up and raped (often gang-raped) to “teach them what they are and what a woman should be like”,  sometimes by their own male friends. Read More…

Posted under Gender equality

The ongoing debate as to whether the sex trade in South Africa should be decriminalised or legalised has gained momentum as the 2010 Soccer World Cup approaches. In this article we take a look at various reasons why this should happen, and ask for your feedback.

The decriminalisation of sex work is recommended in South Africa’s HIV and AIDS and STI National Strategic Plan (2007-2011), and supported by both South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) and the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT), but the process of changing the law remains under the South African Law Reform Commission, which began reviewing the Sexual Offences Act seven years ago. An initial bill for parliamentary debate is not expected to be ready until March 2010, and any changes in legislation would not be passed before 2011. In the meantime, advocates of decriminalisation have called for a moratorium on arrests of sex workers during the World Cup. Read More…

Posted under HIV / AIDS

While World AIDS Day is graciously honored by millions around the world on December 1 of every year, the unfortunate truth is that not a single day can fully give justice to the reality that more than 33 million people around the world live with HIV every single day of their lives. Even more difficult to demonstrate in a single day is the significant burden HIV/AIDS holds over Africa and Asia, where crowded populations and abject poverty are far larger problems than in Europe or North America.

Although the rates of HIV are dropping and the measures to prevent further spread are finding results, it is highly likely that the toll taken by the HIV/AIDS pandemic on the children of South Africa will be severe. It is estimated that deaths attributed to HIV/AIDS will leave one in three of the country’s children orphaned by 2015. This staggering figure is only one reason why World AIDS Day is not over; but for only one reason, it foreshadows extremely serious social, economic, and humanitarian problems. This is a concern that requires action on all planes from high levels of government to the most basic levels of community and neighborly care. Read More…

Posted under HIV / AIDS