In light of our partnership with She Conquers, we are proud to bring to you our first article in awareness of the many great initiatives the She Conquers campaign has embarked on. Do have a read and spread the word.
Adolescent girls and young women in South Africa experience sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) at a rate that’s unacceptable, and it’s a problem that’s too costly to ignore.
In 2013 alone, over 48 000 rape cases were reported to the South African National Police Service (SAPS), with many having gone unreported. Statistics from the South Africa Demographic and Health Survey carried out in 2016 showed that 10% of women between the age of 18—24 experienced physical violence from a partner in the past 12 months, prior to the survey, compared with 2% of women aged 65 and older.
loveLife, being a credible platform to speak to the hearts and minds of young people – to power a future through the energies of young people Contact Centre aims to promote a healthy, HIV-free way of life among South African teenagers by linking HIV prevention with youth development in a nationwide community-level peer education approach and a national multi-media campaign. loveLife Contact Centre recognises that youth leadership is critical in transforming South African society and has based its approach on addressing the individual, social and structural factors leading to high-risk tolerance and a perception of scant opportunity among teenagers.
Although the roles of the perpetrator and victim aren’t dependent on sex, due to prevailing (and oppressive) gender relations and women’s subordinate status, women and girls are much more likely to than men and boys to be victims of sexual violence in all parts of the world. Society has always put out the woman to be in the wrong when they are being abused by their partner. It is the female counterpart that is always wrong and so they deserve this kind of ill-treatment. In such cases, the woman has always been told to be strong and hold on.
The She Conquers website—and as partners with B-Wise Health—has enough information for the adolescent girls and young women on what to do when they’re being abused. A variety of situations which most young girls and women experience are listed, and expert responses are given to those. These how-to-guides empower the adolescent girls and young women in South Africa to make informed decisions about their lives, take control both in school and at home and be able to participate in public life with no fear. There’s also information on how to help someone else who you might know to be in danger.
All-in-all, it’s high time something drastic is done and an end is put to women regressing in society.
Main Image Credit: Supplied