THE reality of rape and the impact on victims must remain at the top of people’s minds as the country grapples with a ‘rape culture’ in our society and how to change it.
Non-profit Right to Care Group Marketing Manager Palesa Khambi said it is important to dispel myths that serve as contributing factors to the rape culture.
One such myth is that ‘women who wear revealing clothing or stay out late at bars are inviting rape’.
‘Someone’s choice of clothing, their choice to drink alcohol, their choice to be flirtatious, or their silence are not crimes. Rape is a crime,’ Kambi said.
‘While women bear the brunt of gender-based violence, men can be raped too. Some people still believe that gay men and women deserve to be raped.’
She said the force used by a rapist to subdue a male victim is often much more violent than that used towards a woman. Manipulation is also often used to control and overpower younger boys and teenagers.’
Khambi also encouraged victims to report the crime, as failure to do so makes it difficult to quantify and monitor the levels of gender-based violence and rape.
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