(part of our 16 days against gender violence blog series)
by Kemi Ogunsanya
The increasing violence against women and children experienced in South Africa has been characterised as a ‘low intensity civil war’ in some quarters. As South Africa lights the torch in Tshwane to end violence against women – including the wide-spread domestic abuse, sexual assault and rape that expose women to the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS - the flames of remembrance become significant. Research shows that most women are violated by people they know, carrying the problem of deep-seated cultural stigma - the reporting of such acts of violence is seen as betrayal. This makes it particularly hard to expose such atrocities.
The good news is that the South African Bill of Rights and national laws have enshrined the rights of women to live free of violence, including sexual violence. Parliament is currently reviewing its rape laws to ensure women and girls are able to report all incidents of rape without fear of reprisal. The police and other security personnel are being trained on gender-based violence and how to improve the reporting of such acts, taking cognizance of the victim beyond cultural prejudices and stereotypes. More women have been recruited into the police force, intensifying the acknowledgment of the situation in the country. Government has provided anti-retroviral drugs to rape victims, reported within the 72 hours incubation period of the HIV virus. The media has been castigated on its reports of sexual violence, found to be over-sensationalised, particularly during the Jacob Zuma rape trial. Stiff penalties are now envisaged if acts of sexual violence are not duly reported or when perpetrators are dealt with lightly.
Nevertheless, despite the presence of national and international laws protecting women against sexual violence, their implementation remains key. Moreover, these laws can only be effective once sexual violent acts are reported. The biggest challenge for women’s organisations worldwide is how these laws can deal with the silent acts of sexual abuse that remains untold.
