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 .

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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

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

According o a report by BBC news, “a female born in South Africa has a greater chance of being raped in her lifetime than learning how to read”. The number of child rapes in South Africa is so embarrassing that the government has placed a moratorium on government crime statistics, stating that they needed reassessment. There are many reasons contributing to this issue.

One is the belief in the “virgin myth”; that sex with a child or baby will cure AIDS. Virginity testing is growing and often occurs in schools, where the girls must lie on their back with their pants and underwear off and legs in the air. Poverty and lack of access to AIDS drugs is another reason for these atrocities. The median income for Blacks and mixed race in South Africa can be as low as $300 a year, and the cost for AIDS drugs average $40 to $50 per month. Desperate people seek desperate measures.

As a woman, a mother and a human being I am beyond disturbed. While our children are worried about cliques and fitting in at school, those in South Africa are concerned about personal safety and whether their teacher, classmate, uncle, neighbor or stranger on the street will rape them.

How can a country with so many natural resources watch their people become so desperate?

How can we as a nation with so much luxury look the other way?

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Posted under Post-rape care