You strike a woman; you strike a rock

Writer: This is the good NEWS. -Ed

During the women’s march on Pretoria in 1956, the song they sang encapsulated the pride and dignity of the mothers, sisters and daughters of the nation. They were warning the government of the day that they were a force to be reckoned with, not to be taken for granted. That was then…

In more recent times, tragically, striking a woman seems to have taken on a whole new meaning, has even become a national pastime, affecting not only women, but children, too.

Once again last Wednesday, as a country, we embarked upon our annual 16-day crusade against violence towards women and children. Judging by the escalation in numbers with each passing year, they are not only targeted for physical abuse and sexual assault, but increasingly, for killings of the most depraved kind.

What sort of nation does this to itself? What kind of self-hate drives men to destroy their own future?

Devastating statistics for the period April to June 2020 were published in the Mail & Guardian in August this year: for instance, of all adult rape charges laid, a mere 32% reached the courts and in only 5% of these cases was there a conviction. The statistics for children was similar: only 42% reached the courts and of these only 9% resulted in guilty verdicts.

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