* 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 18th 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
