According to statistics, 150 women are raped in South Africa daily.
Corrective rape is also on the rise in South Africa. More than 10 lesbians are raped weekly to correct their sexual preferences, as estimated by Luleki Sizwe, a South African non-profit organisation. Corrective rape uses rape against people who do not conform to perceived social norms regarding human sexuality or gender roles. The intent is to punish perceived abnormal behaviour and reinforce societal norms.
The University of the Free State (UFS) is rolling out a #IDidn’tSayYes campaign in a quest to combat rape on its campuses. Rape culture is a combination of sexual practices made acceptable and/or naturalised by men.
The campaign’s main objective is:
- To reduce or eliminate the number of sexual assaults among students.
- To educate about the difference between forced, coerced, and consensual sex.
- People should know that there is nothing wrong with “saying NO and accepting NO”.
- No one should blame themselves for being raped.
- A need to shift from victim-shaming and blaming to perpetrator discomfort.
University campuses are prime locations for rape. According to an article in the Mail and Guardian, Mary Koss, an expert on gender-based violence, found that university campuses are the perfect site for “sexual aggression and victimisation” of women because they are closed institutions, much like the military and prisons.
UFS Dean of Student Affairs, Pura Mgolombane, highlights the need to have an understanding of the difference between submission and consent. Consent is when a person agrees consciously and consistently, devoid of any form of pressure and in full control of his/her/their mental faculties; and consent can be withdrawn at any time, previous or current consent does not automatically imply future and permanent consent.
Mgolombane says, “Men need to reject this type of dehumanising practices and behaviour by taking a stand and say ‘not in our name’.”