What you need to know about rape

Learn about rape and how you can report it

What is rape?

Learn the facts that dispel common and harmful myths about rape

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What to do if someone has raped you?

Read the 10-step toolkit to learn more

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How to report rape?

Steps to follow when reporting rape, and the rights you can exercise while doing so

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OUR WORK

As a feminist organisation, Rape Crisis is committed to working towards the achievement of women’s rights

Counselling

Supporting rape survivors on their Road to Recovery

Education and Training

Community workshops that dispel the myths and stereotypes about rape, and building a culture of consent in Cape Town High Schools

Advocacy and Community Mobilisation

Educating the public about and fighting for specialised support services for survivors of rape and sexual violence

Latest news & media

What we stand for

Our mission is to promote safety in communities, to reduce the trauma experienced by rape survivors, to encourage the reporting of rape and to work actively to address flaws in legislation

UNITY

Embracing diversity and acknowledging difference in order to work together as a team

GROWTH

Changing and supporting others to change

PURPOSE

Working towards organisational goals with focus and clear direction

HEALING

Helping reclaim stability, peace, safety and direction in life by supporting others

TEAM

The members of Rape Crisis are dedicated and passionate individuals all striving together to inspire change. Rape Crisis challenges myths and stereotypes (rape culture) through building a consent culture. It is a culture in which asking for consent is normalised and condoned in popular culture. It is respecting the person’s response even if it isn’t the response you had hoped for. When we create cultures of consent, respect, and positive sexuality, we can change how we understand sexuality and prevent sexual violence.

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HISTORY

Established in 1976, Rape Crisis is the most experienced organisation in South Africa working in the area of adult rape and sexual violence. Our roots are as a volunteer-run feminist women’s collective. We obtained NPO registration in 1997 and maintained our focus on the empowerment of women.

We have a national reputation for unique and innovative best practices models and our work consists of a range of projects that include direct services to survivors of rape and sexual violence, popular education and advocacy as essential components of a well-developed theory of change.

OPERATIONS

Our relationship with government, particularly at the provincial level, is collaborative (we share spaces at courts and health facilities with government service providers) but also challenging because we observe that government does not always serve the best interests of rape survivors.

Our close connection with the communities we serve gives us capacity for social mobilisation and our strong network of partners in civil society gives us support for lobbying influential role players at both the national and provincial levels of government.