Volume 35 Number 02 - University of the Witwatersrand

More documents

Recommendations

Info

-$xpe:The initial step to combatting rape has been the setting up oJcounselling centres such as POWA or Rape Crisis to helprape victims. But what must follow, tor a rape preventionprogramme to be effective, is a process of community reeducationthrough mass-media campaignsfs.l*i': .'l:,:. . I i.'ti:-ii*ai:tn::r-&'e-*f$*TerrorWe are told that:without her consent.' This isN,ice girls don't go out alone another misinterpretation. Itat nightfails to recognize that rape is anNice girls don't talk toact of violence and brutality. lt lsstrangersencouraged by existing sociaNice girls don'tattitudes.hitchWhathikein fact are theseattitudes?NICE GIRLS DON'T GETRAPED.For most pe'ople rape is notreal. It happens to otherwomeni fo women whodeserve it.To women who sav'no'but mean'yes'. To tnotnanwho'fantasize about rape andsecretly want it.These are only a few oftheprevailing myths about rape- myths fostered by sexualstereotypes.South African law definesrape as 'intentional, unlawfulsexual intercourse with a womanMBoys are 'taught to be aggressive, tough, active, brave, and tocontrol or suppress their emotions.The stereotype male is thedominating force, the conquerorwhose role it is to initiateanysexual activity.Girls are encouraged to bepassive, submissive and obedient.Their role is perpetuatedby the media. Women are shownand expected to be sexuallyunobtainable, yet sexually desirable.Sex is thought to be anact performed by a male on apassive female.This distortion of sexuality is: mirrored in the structures of,1 society. Men dominate thefamily, the church, the workplace, and the state.The ultimate .expression ofmale machismo and femalesubmission is rape. Rape is anact of domination: While thecrime involves a sexual act it isprimarily an act of violence andbrutality resulting in the abuseand humiliation of the victim'sbody, dignity, self esteem andself determination.Thus feminists urge the law totreat rape as a case of assault.This is more consistent with thefact that rape is not exclusively awomen's issue. Ftromosexuarape is particularly common ininstitutions such as prisons.Rape is the only crime forwhich society inevitably blamesthe victim, and the victim, aproduct of the same society, alsoblames herself. Thus it is notsurprising that only l0%oofrapesare ever reported to the police.The victim is often unwilling toreport a rape because of shameand fear of retaliation. She isexamined and interrogated byunsympathetic male doctors,policemen, lawyers and judges- she is forced to relive thehumiliating experience.In the court the woman is ,treated as the accused (see box). 'Very often her entire sexualhistory is examined in ari'attempt to prove that she is'promiscuous', 'led the man on'or'was asking for it'. The victimh-4r to prove she dld notencourage' her assailant in anyway. If she did not resist (for fearof being beaten or killed), it isthought to imply that the mansimply'could not help it'.The_ legql system ensures that '
)) SexuaorISInlsItan;isialise9Stolo-:heer-Inybeobted)wnallyderannayisoftheorkofraleantheilisondtuse'm'sandvtoult.thelyalualtinformes,,4tlsonotpesice.Itorme:isby)rs,gesthelSr.l)x). Iua\afiison'timnotrnyeartislaNvery few rapists are convicted, orat most, receive a relatively light'sentence. But the possibility ofseveral years ofjail and perhapsan early parole is meaninglesscompared to the victim's lifelongpsycbological damage.Hence prevailing social attitudeshave generated a collectionof myths that substitutefor the facts of rape. Thesemyths are as commonly acceptedamong medical and legal authoritiesas they are among thegeneral public.Here are some of the mythswhich are popularly held aboutrape:Myth: Rape is a crime ofpassion.Fact: Rape is not an act of lustbut an act of violent aggression.Myth: Nice girls don't getnped; women provoke rape,they 'ask for it'.Fact: Rape victims range in agefrom babies to women in their80's and 90's. Any woman is apotential victim: regardless ofher appearance, race or socialclass.Myth: No man crn rrpe iwomrn who doesn't consent.Fact: Victims don't consent -they are terrorised into submission.Research shows that97Vo of rape victims arethreatened with death or bodilyharm. 30-40V0 of the rapistsuse weapons. Rapes in whichlittle violence occurs are usuallywith children.Myth: Repe is unusual.Fact: The official statistics statethat about 20 000 rapes occurevery year. But 90Vo of rapes gounreported. The actual ntrmberof rapes is nearer 290000 a year,(or 600 rapes every day) and is onthe increase. It is estimated thatone woman inSA is raped every'trvo minutes.Myth: Women say'no' whenthey meon'yed.Fact: Men must learn to accept'no' as'no'.Women are capable of takingtheir own decisions and responsibilities.They have their ownindividual integrity.Myth: Women fantasise aboutrrpe end secretly wenl it.Fact: Does anyone desire to brviolated, brutalised, humiliatedand degraded? Fantasies are selGcontrolled and give pleasurewhereas rape is real; it is a violentact marked by fear. Women donot fantasise about rape.Myth: Women cry npe to tetbeck et men.Fact: Research shows that only2Vo of.all reported rapes are falseother felonies.Myth: Rape occurs betweenstran!,ers in a dark alley.Fact: About 7516 ofrapes occurin a home between people whohave met before. A rapist can beone's co-worker, boss, friend,date, lover, husband, not necessarilya complete stranger.Myth: Men crnnot controltheir sexuality.Fact: Rape is an act of violenceand domination, it is nol usuallyan impulsive, sexual urge. In fact80Vo of rapes,are premeditated.So, these are some of themyths about raPe. The reasonthat they rem;ain myths is thatfair and factual informationabout rape is often kept from us.The whole issue is still surroundedby a great number ofsuperstitious taboos, and by agreat deal of ignorance andantagonism.At present the legal systemrelies on prisons as the solutionto the crime. But this merelyremoves the rapist temporarilyfrom society. The attitudes ofaggression and the desire todominate are reinforcedheterosexual rape is oftenreplaced by homosexual rape.Rape must be combattedthrough community re-educationprogrammes with the aimof breaking down myths andprejudices about men andwomen. Society must bere-organised into one free ofhierarchical, undemocratic andmale dominated structures.Then only can we prevent thefostering of rape through oursociety's social, political, economicand cultural institutions.Rope is not a matter oJ intercourse with awoman without her consent. It is a brutol, degrading andhumiliating assoult which leaves the victim with litelongpsychologicol domoge ,^ r r^r t ?. r._'liH'flK*"og,ruq,Kiffi {cq,ll/VdRape victims are unwilling to report their assaulttorlear olhaving to relive the degrading experience at the hands ofunsympathetic doctors, policemen and lawyersA robbery victim undergoing a similar cross-examinationto that-of a rape victim.'Liste n, if I wanted . . .'Mr Smith, you were held up at gun pointon the cbrner of First add Main?''Yes'.'Did you struggle with the robber?''No.''Why not?'He was armed.''Then you made a conscious decision tocomply with his demands rather thanresist?'Yes.''Did you scream or cry out?''No. I was afraid.''l see. Have you ever been held up before?''No.''Have you.ever given money away?'Yes, of course.''And you did so willingly?'What are you getting at?'Well, let's. put it like this, Mr Smith.You've given money away in the past.How can one be sure that you weren't contrivingto have your money taken by force?''Never mind. What time did the hold upoccur?''About I l.00pm.''You were out on the street at I l.00pm?Doing what?''Just walking.''Just walking. You know it's dangerousbeing out on the street late at night.Weren't you aware that you could havebeen held up?''l hadn't thought about it.''What were you wearing?''Let's see. . . a suit. Yes, a suit.''An expensive suit?'you were walkingaround'Well . . . yes. I'm a successful lawyer youknow.''ln other words,the streets late at night in a suit that practicallyadvertised the fact that you might be agood target for some easy money, isn't thatso? I mean, if we didn't know better, MrSmith, we might even think that you wereasking for this to happen, mightn't we?
Page 2 and 3: -ag.-,|Justice is dead -fear reigns
Page 4 and 5: Sexismrmyths exposed at meetingIf y
Page 6 and 7: Ministryof Love: South African Slyl
Page 10 and 11: Iall Rape was looked atWhv another
Page 12 and 13: 19t3 Free PeoPles' Concqf0f the YSp
Page 14: SRC Student Sport1st Floor Students

Volume 35 Number 02 - University of the Witwatersrand

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?