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Outside toilets a nightmare for women

ALEXANDRA - Outside toilets like these have become a nightmare for women are falling prey to rapists and robbers.

Outside toilets, commonly used in Alexandra, have become a nightmare for women who are not only mugged and robbed but also raped by men who waylay them when they go out at night to relieve themselves.

Young women have given horrifying accounts of their experiences when they have to use the outdoor toilets at night in a township that is notorious for the abuse of women and young girls and is often referred to as the ‘rape capital’ of South Africa.

As a result, young women in the township, as part of a citywide advocacy programme called Young Urban Women (YUW), are lobbying government, schools and their community to do something about the risks women face when using outdoor toilets at night.

“I got mugged by a group of people trying to rape me, but someone came and helped me,” said an 18-year-old in Alex, talking about her experience using an outdoor toilet.

“I got mugged on my way to the toilet,” another woman (24) said about her ordeal; while another had this to say, “A guy threatened me and promised to rape me; I’ve been scared ever since,” said the 25-year-old.

A research conducted by YUW revealed that 98 per cent of women in Alex are afraid to go outdoors at night, as they fear physical and social violence associated with the high incidence of physical and sexual violence against women in the country.

The research also indicates that 35 per cent of women in Alex have experienced assault, rape or harassment when using outside toilets, while 79 per cent of them said they now avoid going out to the toilet at night.

According to our Constitution, “Everyone has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or wellbeing.” (Chapter 2 Section 24(a) 1996). The young women are now advocating for safe, hygienic toilets for women and have put together a petition signed by 260 women to date, in which they state, “I testify that the toilets I use in Alexandra make me feel unsafe, put me at risk and violate my human rights.”

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