On Africa pt. 3
This should be the last post of this series, and it is actually the original followup to the primary post. I came across some shocking information regarding rape and sexual abuse in South Africa. This hits home for me on several different levels. I have personal experience with such matters, and someone very dear to me wants to go there soon to help out those in need. I must admit that it scares me to some degree, but all of that is another story, for another time...
What information did I come across? Well, according to a study into rape and HIV by the Medical Research Council (MRC), 1 out of 4 men in South Africa have admitted to raping someone. Let's get some stats out of the way, shall we?
Three out of four rapists first attacked while still in their teens, the study found. One in 20 men said they had raped a woman or girl in the last year.
Of those surveyed, 28% said they had raped a woman or girl, and 3% said they had raped a man or boy. Almost half who said they had carried out a rape admitted they had done so more than once, with 73% saying they had carried out their first assault before the age of 20.
Any woman raped by a man over the age of 25 has a one in four chance of her attacker being HIV-positive.
One in 10 men said they had been forced to have sex with another man. Many find it difficult to report such attacks to the police in subcultures where the concept of homosexuality is taboo.A report published by the trade union Solidarity earlier this month said that one child is raped in South Africa every three minutes, with 88% of rapes going unreported. It found that levels of child abuse in South Africa are increasing rapidly.
That should be sobering for anyone. With such astonishing figures, it is important to understand why. Professor Rachel Jewkes of the MRC ahd this to say:
"We have a very, very high prevalence of rape in South Africa. I think it is down to ideas about masculinity based on gender hierarchy and the sexual entitlement of men. It's rooted in an African ideal of manhood."
I must admit that I agree with her. Having spoken with two of my friends who reside there, they confirm that assertion. I am aware of the lack of scientific merit behind such information, but you can't discount unbiased first hand knowledge. There are others who feel the same way as well. Dean Peacock, co-director of the Sonke Gender Justice project, said:
"We hear men saying, 'If Jacob Zuma can have many wives, I can have many girlfriends.' The hyper-masculine rhetoric of the Zuma campaign is going to set back our work in challenging the old model of masculinity."
I think that it stems from the cultural belief and thinking that men are superior and held to a different standard. There is a pervasive belief, practiced by many, with no real fear of punishment, and that inevitably leads to the widespread practice of such behavior.
The government has been rather complacent as well in its efforts to address the issue. In South Africa, only 7% of rapes ever lead to a conviction. In fact, the leader of the country stood trial for the rape of a family friend. His supporters demonstrated outside the court, verbally attacked his accuser and sang "burn the bitch, burn the bitch". He was eventually acquitted.
So what is the answer? Honestly, I don't think that there is an easy one. I think that there are two primary things that need to be addressed. The leadership needs to take responsibility in making sure that such crimes are punished. The need for a reform of the justice system, from the top down, is needed. Without such a reform, you will never change the matter. The second thing that needs to be addressed is the attitudes of the people. If you create a real sense that there may be a punishment for such an act, then you have tackled a large part of this issue. People are much less likely to do something if they know that they may face serious consequences for such behavior. The old model of masculinity needs to be addressed as well. This will be a much harder, and time consuming effort, but it is necessary if this behavior is to stop. People need to be made aware that there are victims in this, that women are equals, and that there are risks involved for both parties such as a sky-high HIV infection rate.
Given the current leadership, I don't suspect that much progress will be made in this area until new leadership comes to power. I remain hopeful however, since change needs to come to South Africa (and Africa as a whole) very badly.
