FUCK BLM

* It is estimated that over 40% of South African women will be raped in their lifetime and that only 1 in 9 rapes are reported. It is also estimated that 14% of perpetrators of rape are convicted in South Africa.

* In 2005, a lesbian woman, Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo (best known by her pseudonym, Khwezi), accused Jacob Zuma, the man who was later to become South Africa’s third post-apartheid president, of rape. Rather than destroying Zuma’s chances of ever becoming president, the 2006 rape trial that later ensued created a platform for Zuma to popularize essentialized versions of Zulu customs and traditional masculinities.

Formal South Africa President Jacob Zuma was acquitted of rape in 2006. The very fact that a case against him was even brought to trial is surprising.  Only one in nine rapes are ever reported and only a fraction of those are brought to trial. During the trial, the judge allowed his supporters to gather outside the courthouse and chant “burn the bitch.” When testifying, Zuma acknowledged a sexual encounter but stated that as the woman was dressed “provocatively” in traditional dress, “it was against Zulu culture for a man to leave a sexually aroused woman unsatisfied.” Zuma also stated that he knew the woman was HIV positive but that he showered after the encounter and because he was healthy deemed this enough of a preventative measure.

* Shame and stigma prevent many survivors from reporting rape and other sexual violence crimes, but in the last two decades alone it is estimated that a staggering 60,000 civilians were raped during the civil war in Sierra Leone; 65,000 during the conflict in Liberia; 50,000 during the fighting in Bosnia; and over 200,000 during the genocide in Rwanda. These figures are not just abstract numbers; behind every single attack is a face and the story of an individual, a family and a community devastated. These communities may never recover from the brutality they have experienced if their needs are ignored.

* The governors of Nigeria's 36 states have resolved to declare a state of emergency on rape following a spate of sexual violence against women, according to the Nigerian Governor's Forum

* The authorities in Sierra Leone must bring those responsible for the rape and murder of this little girl to justice in fair trials and send a clear message that gender-based violence will not be tolerated. 

Marta Colomer, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for West and Central Africa

* It is estimated that there are 650 million women and girls in the world today who were married before age 18. During the past decade, the global rate of child marriage has declined. South Asia had the largest decline during this time, from 49 per cent to 30 per cent. Still, 12 million girls under 18 are married each year and in sub-Saharan Africa—where this harmful practice is most common—almost four out of 10 young women were married before their 18^th birthday. Child marriage often results in early pregnancy and social isolation, interrupts schooling, limits the girl’s opportunities and increases her risk of experiencing domestic violence

* At least 200 million women and girls aged 15-49 have undergone female genital mutilation in the 30 countries with representative data on prevalence. In most of these countries, the majority of girls were cut before age five. More than 20 million women and girls in just seven countries (Egypt, Sudan, Guinea, Djibouti, Kenya, Yemen and Nigeria) have undergone female genital mutilation by a health care provider.With population movement, female genital mutilation is becoming a practice with global dimensions, in particular among migrant and refugee women and girls