'Rape is not about sex'
2007-12-07 15:34
Cape Town - A group of protesters wearing mini skirts turned heads in Cape Town's city centre on Friday, as they marched in support of rape victims who are questioned about their behaviour and dress.
The singing crowd, organised by The Southern African Media and Gender Institute (SAMGI), wound its way down Adderley Street, starting from the Company Gardens at about 11:00 and marched down Long street.
The march took place during the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign, which ends on December 10.
"Rape is about power, not sex. It can happen to anyone, no matter where you are, how much you drink or what you are wearing," SAMGI spokesperson, Miriam van Heugten explained over the guitars and drums being played by the protesters.
"In Phillipi the police gave leaflets out saying: don't wear revealing clothing, don't open windows, don't listen to music loudly. It's not about that."
Rules like 'a corset'
Van Heugten described the rules for woman as a "corset that's being pulled tighter and tighter around woman till you just can't breathe any more".
The group of about 50 protesters included men wearing skirts too.
The march, designed to raise awareness, elicited hoots and cheers from passing drivers on the road. Shop assistants stopped and strained to read the posters which bore slogans that said: "My dress says no to rape".
SAMGI director, Judith Smith said the group was protesting against the fact that a court is allowed to ask a rape survivor what she was wearing when she was raped.
"What do clothes have to do with a nine-month old baby getting raped?" she asked
Zanele Nyingwa, 21, was one of the women dressed in a short denim skirt, and a yellow shirt printed with the phrase: "This is what a feminist looks like."
'Because I'm scared'
"I'm marching because I'm scared of where this country's going," she said. "Most cases get thrown out and people who report rapes often get victimised in the community."
While the latest crime statistics for April to September show that rape went down by 3.6%, critics say this is largely due to cases not being reported to the police. Van Heugten said that one in nine rapes in South Africa get reported and only 5% of those result in convictions.