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Your 16 Days

GBV / Gender based violence, Get Involved, Making Change

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an admirable campaign. Carving real time out of the year to highlight, examine and interrogate the senseless violence suffered by survivors of gender-based violence can only be lauded. While we acknowledge both the intent and far-reaching awareness raising that comes from the campaign, there is also room to acknowledge the void – which is a lack of action beyond the 16 days. What comes of the 16 Days of Activism every year? Well, let’s interrogate that too. 

To be clear, observing 16 Days of Activism is not the problem, it is the abandoning of what the campaign intends to spur that should be criticised. Organisations working in SGBV (Sexual and Gender-Based Violence) go to great pains to create campaigns of their own during this time, because this is the only time that the world pays any attention. This is the only time in the year that we hear from government decision makers, that the press dedicates time to this issue and that the average citizen may turn on the TV and receive the very necessary information that they should be receiving any other day of the year. From the sounds of it, 16 Days does precisely what it was founded to – so you may be wondering, then what is the problem? Well, let’s keep interrogating. 

For 16 Days government decision makers who pay no mind to SGBV suddenly have statements to make. The press, who cover instances of sexual and gender-based violence in problematic ways or not at all, suddenly want to know what organisations already working in the sector are doing to observe the campaign. Frankly, these organisations – organisations like Rape Crisis – are the ones providing survivors of SGBV with the support services that they need every day of the year. What is 16 Days to civil society organisations? To organisations that work without praise to make sure that no survivor is left without medical, legal, counselling, shelter or financial support at what is often the most harrowing moment of their lives? Business as usual. We do the work 365 days a year, so it is our daily reality – these are YOUR 16 Days of Activism.

How is Rape Crisis honouring 16 Days?  

In three ways: awareness, our services and supporting our sister SGBV organisations. 

We will utilise the digital space to raise awareness and change mindsets; we will highlight the free support services that we provide survivors of SGBV 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; and, we will spotlight our powerful sister organisations working in this sector fighting this fight with us. 

The Rape Survivors’ Justice Campaign (RSJC) will engage decision makers on key pieces of legislation that affect survivors. There will be a Victim Support Services Bill briefing with members of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development on 30 November, to address concerns about the Bill and to present suggestions on how it could be improved. On the 10th of December at 11am, the RSJC will mobilise outside the Khayelitsha court to protest delays in the establishment of a sexual offences court. Keep an eye on our socials if you would like to join the protest. 

You may also see our Making Change team paying socially distanced visits to organisations that we work with as a show of support and delivery of educational materials for the survivors that they provide support services to. 

For more on the organisations doing the work (365 days a year), and how you can support them, read Activism and Donations.

How can YOU honour organisations like ours during 16 Days?

  • Share content that provides helplines and helpful resources 
  • Advocate for a legal system that protects and supports survivors instead of shielding perpetrators, by supporting organisations doing the critical legislative campaigning 
  • Volunteer your time and skill-set to an SGBV organisation
  • Donate to ensure that these organisations can help even more survivors

By sharing, advocating, volunteering or donating you take real action that can directly impact the lives of SGBV survivors in South Africa. There are already socio-economic barriers that hinder the path to recovery and justice for each survivor. As a nation we need to band together to ensure that survivors can access the free direct services that organisations like Rape Crisis provide. 

If Rape Crisis is the organistion that you want to support with your donation, you can do so here: https://rapecrisis.org.za/donate/

27th Nov 2020/by Sino Mdunjeni
https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png 0 0 Sino Mdunjeni https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png Sino Mdunjeni2020-11-27 14:07:452020-11-27 14:07:45Your 16 Days

Activism and Donations

Advocacy, Donate, GBV / Gender based violence, Get Involved, Making Change

Image by Liam Edwards

 

Merriam Webster defines activism as, “A doctrine or practice that emphasizes direct vigorous action especially in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue.” As we begin the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, you may be asking yourself how best to make your voice heard.

A lot has been said about online activism. Terms like “keyboard activism” and “slacktivism” feel like calling cards of yesteryear, specifically the year that shall not be named (2016, I am talking about 2016). Nothing good happened in 2016, a lot of our therapists are still helping us move beyond it, but it was also the year that people manufactured reasons to criticise how people were beginning to advocate for the issues that they cared about. Look, read your thinkpieces of choice and come to your own conclusions, but people of a certain age were throwing their toys that a new way of fighting for social change was becoming widespread.

Cut to 2020, and any well-adjusted person knows better. We understand the power of the internet and social media as verified tools of social change. For the first time in history, people have the power to decide HOW they advocate for the issues that are important to them. So, how are you advocating this 16 Days of Activism? 

We have a number of choices at our fingertips. We can use social media to meaningfully get behind causes that are close to our hearts. What are the internets good for?

  • Creating social awareness
  • Amplifying a message 
  • Signing petitions 
  • Mobilising for actions
  • Remote presence 
  • Donating 

 

Why is donating important? 

This is not to be misconstrued, but, we are not all doing the work – that is a fact. Speaking specifically about GBV, we do not all do the work in this space. This means that as much as we may want to feel like we are making tangible change, that may be a bit tricky. There is nothing stopping us from contributing to tangible change, and that is the value (and power) in donating. Donating to women-run organisations that provide direct services to and actively advocate for survivors of gender-based violence can go a long way.

(We do also need to read the room. In a country with vast socio-economic disparities, putting money at the center of personal activism would be ill-advised. That said, it also cannot be ignored as effective political action.)

 

Where your donations go

If you did not know, 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 our theory of change. There are three (3) ways to get involved and lend a hand to the survivors Rape Crisis supports: 

  1. Volunteer 
  2. Intern 
  3. DONATE 

If we focus on our core service – which is free counselling for rape survivors – we can quantify very clearly what the need is. Our counselling service is FREE. One (1) session is valued at R300, and a survivor typically experiences a 12-session cycle. For 12 sessions, that means that each survivor that comes through our doors or receives remote 24-hour counselling receives R3,600 “worth” of free counselling sessions. 

 

Why you should put your money where your activism

This is not a message crafted solely for the benefit of Rape Crisis. This 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, if you are looking for meaningful ways to make a marked difference to GBV in South Africa, consider making a donation within your means to an organisation that does work in the sector. There are experienced, powerful, women-led organisations that have been making strides in abuse victim and survivor support services. 

More specifically, put your money where your activism is for organisations that provide DIRECT services to survivors. That is how you can ensure that your hard-earned rands end up positively impacting the lives of people directly affected by the issues plaguing our country. These organisations work 365 days, not just 16 days a year. Show their incredible work your support with a donation today. If you’re wondering which organisations could use your support? Look no further. 

Organisations doing the work that could use your support: 

  • Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS)
  • Centre for Law and Society (UCT)
  • Child Witness Institute 
  • Dullah Omar Institute (UWC)
  • Gender Health and Justice Research Unit (GHJRU) UCT
  • Greater Nelspruit Rape Intervention Project (GRIP)
  • Lawyers for Human Rights
  • LifeLine and ChildLine South Africa
  • Mosaic Women’s Healing and Support Centre
  • People Opposed to Women Abuse (POWA)
  • Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children
  • Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT)
  • Shukumisa Coalition
  • Sonke Gender Justice
  • Triangle Project
  • Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre (TLAC)
  • Women’s Legal Centre
24th Nov 2020/by Sino Mdunjeni
https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png 0 0 Sino Mdunjeni https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png Sino Mdunjeni2020-11-24 14:15:452020-11-24 15:02:33Activism and Donations

The 72-hour Window

Counselling, GBV / Gender based violence, Road To Justice, Road To Recovery

The 72 hours following a rape are pivotal for a survivor. Regardless of whether a survivor intends to report the rape or not, doctor’s advice is that they need to get medical attention within three (3) days. A medical exam is vital to ensure that sexually-transmitted illnesses, pregnancy and physical (DNA) evidence can be attended to. What then can we advise as a plan of action for any survivor out there? Going directly to a medical facility like a Thuthuzela Care Centre. 

Why is the advice not to just go to the police and open a case? There are a few reasons. First and foremost, rape survivors have the right to free medical attention without having to report the case. Secondly, following a medical exam at a hospital or medical facility the physical evidence from the rape can be preserved and a case can be opened that way, from the medical facility. What does this mean? A rape survivor never has to go to a police station in order to report the rape. The physical evidence found in the medical exam becomes the DNA evidence that can form as the basis for a strong case. 

Why the medical exam is so important

Even though it is not necessary to report the case immediately, or ever, you might still want to preserve the physical evidence. Physical evidence from rape (saliva, semen, blood) can be found both on your body and your clothes. If you cannot get to a medical facility (or police station) immediately your clothes should be preserved by wrapping them in newspaper NOT a plastic bag, so that they can be brought along with you for examination.

Because survivors of sexual violence are victims of a crime, medical evidence can be used in court to make a stronger case against the rapist or perpetrator. If you do want to report the case to the police, there are some risks that need to be kept in mind when seeking medical attention and treatment:

  • You can only get a rape kit done within 72 hours after the rape so that DNA evidence can be collected. If you go later than that they will not be able to collect evidence such as saliva, semen or blood from the rapist on your body. 
  • If you wash or change your clothing before going to the hospital you might leave behind valuable evidence of the rape. If you remove your clothes but take them with you and put them in a plastic bag the evidence will be lost too. It is best to go in the clothes you were wearing and not to wash, but if you have removed your clothes take them with you in a cloth or paper bag.

The case

As a survivor of sexual violence, deciding what to do about what has happened to you can be difficult. You may be in shock or experiencing a rollercoaster of troubling emotions. The most important thing to remember is that the sooner that you can get to your nearest Thuthuzela Care Centre, specialist hospital or clinic or police station the better, because:

  • The rapist has less chance to escape
  • You may be able to remember more about the rape immediately afterwards
  • The physical (DNA) evidence that links the rapist to the crime will still be on your body – this evidence can be lost within 72 hours (three days)

The next steps of recovery 

Another important reason for going to a medical facility like a Thuthuzela Care Centre as soon as possible is that you will be referred to a counselling service like the one at Rape Crisis. It is imperative that a survivor’s physical health is attended to first, and in the event of reporting that physical evidence is taken, but that is not where a survivor’s care needs stop. The mental and emotional ramifications of the trauma of sexual violence can be damaging and long-lasting. Prioritising your road to emotional recovery is important, and that is not a journey that you have to walk alone. Rape Crisis’ core mission is ensuring that no survivor feels alienated as they walk their road to holistic recovery. 

Our free counselling service is here to make sure that you feel seen, heard and supported. No matter what you decide, you are not alone. If you can’t speak to anyone, speak to us.

24hr Helpline: 021 447 9762

Whatsapp line: 083 222 5164

 

Written By

Sino Mdunjeni 

Digital Officer

30th Oct 2020/by Sino Mdunjeni
https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png 0 0 Sino Mdunjeni https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png Sino Mdunjeni2020-10-30 11:57:162020-10-30 11:57:16The 72-hour Window

Know Your Rights – Your Rights As A Survivor

Counselling, GBV / Gender based violence, Road To Justice, Road To Recovery

We launched the #KnowYourRights awareness work on our social media platforms to ensure that rape survivors are aware of the health rights and health services that they are entitled to access. In an effort to speak directly to specific instances of sexual violence, the mini-campaign introduced our online community to 6 characters – characters that we could either see ourselves in or recognise as members of our communities – and their experiences with rape and gender-based violence. 

By examining the health risks that affected them we could walk the journey of what health rights they could exercise through the health services that they could access. By collectively walking their journey to recovery as an online community we hoped to highlight how any and all of us can seek the survivor-sensitive care that we deserve, should we ever find ourselves or someone we care about in that situation. 

THE CHARACTERS

 

HEALTH RIGHTS 

Survivors of sexual violence have the right to free medical care, counselling and legal assistance. Survivors can access specialised facilities like Thuthuzela Care Centres, that provide the full suite of these services in one place. When accessing a specialist facility, a survivor can expect to be welcomed with containment and counselling before undergoing a medical exam. Following the exam they have the opportunity to consider taking legal action supported by any physical (DNA) evidence from the medical exam. 

It is important to note that taking legal action by opening a case is not a must or prerequisite in order to access specialist health services. Survivors have a right to free medical assistance at these facilities whether they decide to report the rape and open a case, or not. A specialist facility will need to be accessed by the survivor within 72 hours (three days) in order for them to receive the necessary medical attention that they need, and for physical evidence to be examined before it fades (which typically happens within that 72 hour window). 

HEALTH RISKS    

Too often we only think about the health risks of rape in the context of the physical (DNA) evidence that can be used in a court case. It is up to a survivor whether or not they report a rape, regardless they have the legal right to free counselling and medical care which can be accessed at their nearest Thuthuzela Care Centre, specialised clinic or hospital. But a survivor’s journey to wellness is more than just about assembling a strong case for prosecution. As people that have been disavowed of the right to feel positive ownership of their bodies, it is important to highlight the treatment of health risks as part of the holistic journey to recovery that every survivor should receive. 

As a survivor of sexual violence it is important to know and understand your health risks and rights, and the services that are available to you. If there is one message that needs to cemented in our minds, it is that anyone who survives sexual violence needs to see a doctor or get to a medical facility within 72 hours (three days). Sexually-transmitted infections and diseases (like HIV) need to be seen as soon as possible for a course of treatment to be effective, or viable. 

You have a right to HIV prevention medicines, known as Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), if you go to a government health facility within 72 hours after someone has raped you. If you do not get the treatment that you need to prevent HIV infection soon enough, it will not work – the sooner that you do this the better, but after 72 hours it will be too late. 

There is also the risk of falling pregnant, especially if you are not on any contraception. You have the right to emergency contraception in the form of the morning after pill. While abortions can be administered up to 12 weeks into a pregnancy, regional hospitals and some private clinics will perform abortions up to 20 weeks if the pregnancy is a result of rape.

HEALTH SERVICES

As mentioned, there are specialised health services for rape survivors. Specialist health facilities like Thuthuzela Care Centres were created specifically as a critical part of South Africa’s anti-rape strategy. The Centres are one-stop facilities that offer counselling and containment, as well as medical and legal assistance to rape survivors.

Thuthuzela Care Centres respond to the needs of a rape survivor all in one place with sensitive and specially trained personnel. The aim of integrating survivor-centred health facilities like these into the public health system is to reduce the secondary victimisation and trauma that has been commonplace and a barrier to the reporting of rapes in this country.

All survivors of sexual violence have the right to access specialist health facilities at no cost. 

COUNSELLING AND MENTAL HEALTH 

An oft neglected part of the discourse about a survivor’s recovery is counselling and mental health. Emotional and mental recovery cannot be ignored when looking at the holistic recovery of a survivor. The shock and trauma of rape can do very real damage to your emotional health. You might have trouble sleeping and feel overwhelmed by strong emotions. If your emotional health is not well supported this could lead to anxiety and depression. 

Seeking mental health support and having a space where you can take the time to focus solely on yourself is an act of self-compassion. Making your emotional wellbeing a priority is integral to your overall health and recovery. While so much empowerment and peace of mind can be gained from counselling, the real work is creating a plan to address and overcome your trauma. That is a journey in and of itself, one that can be life-changing. No survivor should ever feel alone on their road to recovery.

We are here to ensure that all survivors feel seen, heard and supported on their road to recovery. If you can’t speak to anyone, speak to us.

 

isiXhosa: 021 361 9085

Afrikaans: 021 633 9229

English: 021 447 9762

WhatsApp: 083 222 5164

 

Written By

Sino Mdunjeni 

Digital Officer

9th Oct 2020/by Sino Mdunjeni
https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png 0 0 Sino Mdunjeni https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png Sino Mdunjeni2020-10-09 02:47:092020-10-09 02:47:09Know Your Rights – Your Rights As A Survivor

The Truth About The Victim Support Services Bill

Advocacy

The Department of Social Development is developing legislation – The Victim Support Services Bill – which is currently open for comment. When a bill is open for comment you can make your voice heard by making a submission (in this case, to the Department of Social Development) with your input.

 

WHAT IS THE VSS BILL?

The Victim Support Services Bill was designed as a legislative response to gender-based and violent crimes. More specifically, it was intended as a legal framework that would speak directly to the support services provided to victims of crime. As it stands, the bill proposes that organisations and professionals who provide services to all victims of violent crime register with the government. The cost of registration will be borne by your organisation, and failure to do so could result in imprisonment. The bill also requires that there are always enough human and financial resources to realise the objectives of the legislation, irrespective of an organisation’s own objectives and mission.

A bill that purports to bolster victim support services looks to instead weave needless red tape into the non-profit/non-governmental sector. In essence, the Victim Support Services bill looks to criminalise anyone who does not adhere to regulations that would not actually contribute to the improvement of the services provided to victims of crime. 

 

WHO WILL THE BILL AFFECT?

“If you provide a room for a domestic violence victim, or give spiritual counselling to someone who got hijacked, the bill will make you register. If you don’t, that’s a criminal offence. People aren’t going to know about it so you risk people falling foul of the law.”

  • Alison Tilley, Judges Matter Coordinator 

There is a limit to the support provided by the government to victims of crime. The victim support sector is comprised of civil society organisations – community groups and  non-governmental organisations – that provide the care that the government does not. It can be said that South Africa has a rich history of organisations like these stepping up to fill the gaps neglected by our government.  

Somehow, in response to that goodwill, the Department of Social Development has put forth the Victim Support Services Bill. One would expect for the bill to support and supplement the admirable work already being done by non-governmental organisations, because without them victim support in this country would be next to non-existent. Instead, the bill (in its current form) would not just create more harm than good, but may very well eliminate the victim support sector as we know it. 

If you provide physical, psychological, social or spiritual support to victims of any violent crime, this bill will affect you. From religious leaders, to traditional healers, shelters, therapists, lawyers, nurses, doctors – this bill would severely regulate and possibly eliminate the informal and formal networks of support that victims of crime rely on for sanctuary.

Victims of crime have suffered enough, they should have the right to access any and all of the services that provide them the support that they need. What the Victim Support Services Bill should be doing is protecting and legislating that right. 

 

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Our collective outrage is warranted. But we need to find a sustainable way to channel that outrage in a way that ensures that victims of crime do not end up falling through the cracks due to a lack of state- or civil society-funded support. Victims of crime deserve more than what the Department of Social Development is proposing. We need to stand up and fight on their behalf, and on behalf of the people providing them with invaluable support services. 

 

What can you do? 

  1. Sign the petition: https://awethu.amandla.mobi/petitions/save-victim-support-services-demand-rights-for-victims-of-crime-now
  2. Make a submission to the Department of Social Development before Wednesday, 16 September 2020. Send your comments by email to: 

Siza Magangoel: Sizam@dsd.gov.za

Luyanda Mtshotshisa: LuyandaMt@socdev.gov.za

Anna Sithole: Annas@dsd.gov.za

To learn more about how to make a submission, please read the ‘Making Your Submission’ toolkit here: https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/VSS-Submission-Toolkit.pdf 

 

        3. Spread the word 

The Victim Support Services bill will not achieve much beyond asking NPOs to register as service providers, with failure to register possibly resulting in imprisonment. The benefits of the bill (especially if we centre the experiences of crime victims) are dubious, but the consequences to victim support services would be far-reaching. We need to make our voices heard by signing the petition and making submissions to the Department of Social Development (before Wednesday, 16 Sept) as comment to this damaging bill.

 

UPDATE: The deadline for submissions to the Department of Social Development has been extended to Wednesday, 7 October 2020.

9th Sep 2020/by Sino Mdunjeni
https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png 0 0 Sino Mdunjeni https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png Sino Mdunjeni2020-09-09 12:59:592020-11-17 12:44:06The Truth About The Victim Support Services Bill

Turning Collective Outrage into Collective Action: Fundraising During a Pandemic

Fundraising

Life as we knew it in South Africa came to a screeching halt in late February when the novel coronavirus hit our shores. We had read the news but were not prepared for what life would be like once this mysterious virus was close to home. Suddenly it felt like the world had become a real-life episode of Black Mirror. Hysteria almost spread faster than the virus itself and four months later, the effects of both have been tragic and fatal. Now it feels like none of us have been untouched or unaffected by loss of life, health, safety and security.

Living through a time that has challenged us in so many ways has had a few positive outcomes however. It has showed us that we are resilient and brought to light the value of human connection. It has empowered us to shift the focus on to what is really important to us. Lending a helping hand, spreading kindness and assisting one another in times of need are inherent human qualities that can sometimes fade to the background in the constant buzzing of the fast-paced, self-centred lives we usually live.

Perhaps I sound a bit optimistic and slightly utopian for focusing on the more encouraging aspects of living through a pandemic but I do believe that being under lockdown has afforded some the opportunity to slow down. Perpetual busyness has been replaced with staying home. And while slowing down has given some of us the opportunity to reassess and re-evaluate, we can’t help but think about those who do not have sanctuary in a space that they should call home.

And so, the cycle of rage begins all over again. In a time where the world is trying to stay safe from a killing virus and people are dying and fighting and protesting and being hurt on the streets and in their own homes, our collective outrage can easily turn into hopelessness. It can be overwhelming to consume heavy information about the atrocities of the world when you feel there is not much you can do about it other than sign a petition or share knowledge. Don’t give up hope. There is value in using your platform and voice to share knowledge or even just educating yourself to learn and unlearn about the oppressions of others or yourself. As my fellow colleague and gifted writer, Neliswa Tshazi said in a previous blog, “… even the smallest forms of activism can help the greater protection of human rights.”

With that being said however, we have reached a point in history where we can no longer be silent witnesses and bystanders. Now is the time to transform our collective outrage into collective action. Rape Crisis recognizes and shares that indignation and wants to facilitate ease in anyone’s process of channelling that rage into activity, particularly in the fight against gender-based violence. We have created a Fundraising Toolkit that simplifies and explains the steps to take if you would like to raise funds and create a campaign using easily accessible resources. If you are interested in ways in which you can use social media, or your collaborative projects in order to get people to donate money to a good cause, then this one is for you. You can find this toolkit on our website as well as our Instagram.

“Every little bit counts” is a statement you may have heard many times before but it’s only because it’s so true.  A good place to start is with the willingness to make a change to the current effects of GBVF (Gender-Based Violence and Femicide) in our country. That willingness will be found with the women and femme bodies that have the lived experience to say enough is enough. I am one of them, and if you’re reading this then you are most likely one too. So let’s band together and fight this fight.

 

Written by

Jameelah Ismail

Jameelah Ismail, Fundraising Officer at Rape Crisis, is a 24 year old freelancer with a vibrant personality and creative soul. Her other work includes being a makeup artist and an au pair as well as a vintage clothing enthusiast.

31st Aug 2020/by zeenat
https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png 0 0 zeenat https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png zeenat2020-08-31 17:05:462020-08-31 17:05:46Turning Collective Outrage into Collective Action: Fundraising During a Pandemic

A JOURNEY TOWARDS INCLUSIVE COMMUNICATIONS

Making Change

For survivors of sexual violence, the associated health risks are a big part of the healing journey. In partnership with AmplifyChange, a sexual and reproductive health rights fund, Rape Crisis has been hosting a series of workshops on these risks. These workshops are centred on the free sexual health services we all have a right to access, where to find these services, and what to do and how to complain if we do not get access to them. Getting the message out beyond these smaller workshop spaces was a challenge that AmplifyChange wanted to help us solve.

Our workshops are spaces for all of us to come together to talk about our lives, to find strength in doing so and to reclaim the power to be in charge of our own health. As an organisation, the link between our work and how we communicate it to the world using publications, media and social media is something we think about deeply because we have not always been completely successful at doing it well. There have been few links made between the community members that take part in our workshops, the volunteers from that community that run the workshops, our staff and our social media following. This has encouraged us to journey towards a more inclusive approach to communications. We realised that this approach could only work once we involved our internal teams to join the communications team and work together to co-create a communication strategy alongside designers, writers and photographers, which is how the “Know Your Rights” poster series was born. For some guidance on the co-creation process we used the Human-Centered Design Thinking approach which follows the following steps.

EMPATHY, UNDERSTANDING AND COLLABORATION (EMPATHY)

Co-creation can mean many things but for us it meant pulling together all the relevant teams involved in doing training on the ground, the photographers who document these training programmes as well as the coordinators and volunteers who facilitate them. Our sessions took place at various points in the project. We allowed ourselves to spend a lot of time talking about the workshops as a way of understanding and empathising with the context of each community. We spent some time trying to come up with a name for this campaign but in the end, we realised that it was as simple as people knowing and understanding their rights and therefore went with “Know Your Rights.”

SOMETIMES IT’S HARD TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM (DEFINE)

Our teams were able to define the problem and (best of all) come up with ideas and create solutions. We realised that our different forms of communication did not always speak to one another or reflect the context and the audiences we interact with in the workshops. The solution came in the form of six characters that each represent an archetype in their community, are a composite of our workshop participants and share a message that can reach that community and beyond it. We gave each character a name, a back story and a different message to share about how dangerous rape can be to our bodies and minds.

We hope that what we have created may be relevant to the communities we speak of and at the same time that they will be easy for much wider communities to relate to as well. While this was a lengthy process, the teams that took part in it enjoyed it a lot and were happy that it was an inclusive approach to developing communications.

MOVING BETWEEN THE LEFT AND RIGHT BRAIN (IDEATE)

The six posters showing the six characters that each tell a different story barely scratch the surface  of the other kinds of stories that we hear in our workshops and that we know are out there. Working alongside Russell Abrahams, the illustrator behind the posters, encouraged our teams to actively participate as he brought a very easy-going approach to the design process, and we learnt a lot about design just by having him present in our sessions. Part of the beauty of using this framework, is that it encourages participation and therefore including teams helped to create inclusive ideas.

Today more than ever we rely on stories and art to send messages, to help others and to deepen our understanding of what we are creating and who we are creating it for. These stories, images and messages aim to create awareness about the specialised services that are available to all survivors of sexual violence in South Africa. In our posters and in our process we used the right brain work of storytelling to achieve the left brain work of internalising information and remembering facts. We hope our journey will enhance the healing journey of an even greater number of rape survivors as they reach out for help and access the health services they have a right to.

IT’S EXCITING TO SEE IDEAS COME TO LIFE (PROTOTYPE)

Journeying towards creating more inclusive work requires teams to deepen their thinking about how communities perceive “inclusion” and what barriers prevent them from receiving information, sharing information and taking action. We must be grounded in our approach to serve communities, whether we choose to do it through digital communications or traditional offline communications. Part of accomplishing this, is to ensure that our teams work cohesively together, and that we value and acknowledge each other for what we bring to the table.

These 6 posters will be released on our social media platforms, so for more information on this awareness work follow our social media accounts below, and we will also be printing and distributing the posters in various locations in Cape Town.

@rapecrisis_capetown on Instagram

@rapecrisiscapetowntrust on Facebook

@RapeCrisis on Twitter

 

Acknowledgments:

AmplifyChange

LifeBrand – Communications agency 

Russell Abrahams – Poster illustrator and artist (@yayabe) 

Waafiq Hendricks – Graphic designer

Emma O’Shaughnessy – Communications consultant

Rape Crisis team

Rifqah Barnes and team- Training and Development coordinator Athlone

Kholeka Booi and team – Training and Development coordinator Khayelitsha

Deliwe Ngqwala – Training and Development volunteer in Khayelitsha

Nosicelo Mfumbe – Training and Development volunteer in Khayelitsha

Nomthandazo Tshingo – Training and Development volunteer in Khayelitsha

Tohira Jardien – Training and Development volunteer in Athlone

Rachmat Davids – Training and Development volunteer in Athlone

Sharlize Hendricks – Training and Development volunteer in Athlone

Jameelah Ismail – Fundraising officer

Palesa Lekhesa – TCC Coordinator

Kath Dey – Director

Sino Mdunjeni – Digital officer

Jeanne Bodenstein – Advocacy specialist

Janet Austin – M&E specialist

Neliswa Tshazi – Court Support Coordinator

Shiralee McDonald – Counselling Coordinator in Observatory

Barbara Williams – Operations Manager

Nazma Davids – Deputy Director

Zeenat Hendricks – Communications Coordinator

Methodologies and Framework Inspiration:

Human-Centred Design Thinking – https://www.designkit.org/human-centered-design

Participatory Design – http://kateferguson.org/portfolio/participatory-design-handbook.html

 

Written By

Zeenat Hendricks – Communications Coordinator for Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust

Zeenat Hendricks is the Communications Coordinator for Rape Crisis. She prefers staying behind the scenes but has been exploring co-creation within the organisation and has been feeling motivated to start sharing the results of collaboration across teams.

28th Jul 2020/by zeenat
https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png 0 0 zeenat https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png zeenat2020-07-28 12:50:222020-07-30 12:24:27A JOURNEY TOWARDS INCLUSIVE COMMUNICATIONS

Being a black woman can be quite a phenomenon

GBV / Gender based violence

Image credit: MSIZI Agency Taken at our pathway through the criminal justice system workshop in Khayelitsha.

Being a black woman can be quite a phenomenon.. the kind of ‘endangered species’ phenomenon.
One moment we go ‘black lives matter!.. black lives matter’. The next we hear or read of our kind being found raped and murdered. Then it’s like.. women’s lives matter too!!

And then we are hurt, angry, sad and terrified. We don’t know what to do. Then we are moved to be part of every action/march/protest against GBVF (Gender based violence and femicide) that there is.. but then we realise these actions do not translate to change or less cases of GBVF. But we do get the needed feeling of having done something and being in solidarity- we are angry together.. we are triggered differently but together.. we cry together.. we voice our concerns together.. we put forward how these can be addressed, together.

When I think of the amount of work that needs to be done to get ourselves out of this GBVF horror or at least deal with it, I become exasperated.. because I don’t even know where we would begin.

It’s as if we need an army of psychosocial healers. One group to work with the adults/parents and the other to work with the young. Changing gender and power norms.. learning new ways of being – new ways of thinking and behaving. Learning takes time ke.

If GBV is about power.. then what empowers the man such that he doesn’t need to violently assert or exercise power on the woman and or child?

If perpetrators of GBVF are inflicting the same abuse and hurt they experienced. Do we need a massive drive of training Counsellors/Social Workers and Psychologists such that long-term counselling is readily accessible to everyone? For all of us to have healing spaces.

If these will take too long while women and children die.. what can be done immediately? So these crimes take place in our communities by people we know.. so we don’t keep quiet or witness and not collectively take action. When these have been reported the laws and law enforcement have to assist us.

This still sounds theoretical.. and has been said with many other great and actionable solutions.. yet GBVF cases are as, if not more, horrendous. Inoba siseza kufa thina kumane kusothukwa.. and simane sitoyi-toya. (We continue to die whilst the nation continues to be shocked and we also continue with our protests…)

When we experience collective trauma, we often feel helpless and alone. And the need to want to at the same time fight, fight for those who experience injustice and fight for the rights we have as humans. Collective trauma however, can motivate us too, it can encourage us to collectively take action by supporting those around us and engaging in those difficult conversations. In doing so, we will come to find that we are resilient.

If someone you know has been raped and is going through a challenging time, they will be feeling a range of emotions. And you might be feeling this too. We offer a 24 hour helpline in three languages and a WhatsApp line for text messages. For more information about our other services offered to survivors of sexual violence visit www.rapecrisis.org.za

If you can’t speak to anyone, speak to us.

isiXhosa: 021 361 9085

Afrikaans: 021 633 9229

English: 021 447 9762

WhatsApp: 083 222 5164

Email: communications@rapecrisis.org.za

Written by  Neliswa Tshazi and Co-Authored by Zeenat Hendricks 

Zeenat Hendricks is the Communications Coordinator for Rape Crisis. She prefers staying behind the scenes but has been exploring co-creation within the organisation and has been feeling motivated to start sharing the results of collaboration across teams.

Neliswa Tshazi qualified as a social worker at UCT. You can find her at Rape Crisis supporting and empowering survivors of gender-based violence. Follow her on Twitter.

24th Jun 2020/by zeenat
https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png 0 0 zeenat https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png zeenat2020-06-24 17:26:442020-06-24 21:23:06Being a black woman can be quite a phenomenon

Self-Care during COVID-19

Selfcare

Image reference: Recipes for self love

The world is changing, things around us are changing. There is a new normal, which some consider abnormal. For example, working from home, a lot of work is being done digitally. A lot of agility is required. That on its own has brought anxiety to a lot of people.

I enjoy working from home in my own space (as I become more productive, not worrying about traffic). However, I have realised it is easy to slip into burn out if you don’t establish or put boundaries in place.

At the beginning of lockdown, there were a lot of challenges, emotions were high, too much information and a lot of confusion. I have a huge team I am responsible for, trying by all means to keep their anxiety levels low because they are essential workers, rendering services to survivors of sexual offences.  …and yes unfortunately people are still being abused amidst all of this and most of them are “lockdown” with their abusers and perpetrators

One day as I was doing my reflection, I realized that I have been attending to my team’s needs and fears and have not really included their families and loved ones. As I was reflecting I remembered something I learned when I attended an AMAZING Flourishing retreat in Ghana hosted by the African Women’s Development Fund [AWDF].

The facilitators stressed that self-care is IMPORTANT. As Hope Chigudu would say “your body is your vehicle, therefore look after it by serving it, especially now during this Pandemic“. I wish everyone could meet her, she is a Gem.

I define self-care as my holistic survival toolkit. Therefore, I started including self-care information when sending COVID-19 information to the team which included things that children can do or to be done as a family such as grounding techniques, breathing techniques when someone feels overwhelmed, practising mindfulness etc.

During a meeting with the Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) counsellors I asked an open-ended question, I wanted to find out what they did to remain grounded or as part of self-care. One counsellor answered, “after a long day I prefer a shower” and I suggested, how about next time you take a shower, try to be present, feel the drops of water falling on your skin, listen to your body, consciously breath in and out while you taking that shower.

In level four of the lockdown I realised my physical and professional self-care were neglected because of lack of movement, change in sleeping patterns, increased screen-time, lack of visible peer support, etc. However, my psychological and spiritual self-care had improved, as I was making time to reflect more, journaling, connecting with the higher power, listening to my body, increased digital support system, meditation and spending time with myself.

In light of the above, the most important thing is to strike a balance. For the professional self-care aspect, one needs to ensure to set boundaries, go with what is best for you. If you are productive after hours, your manager needs to be aware so that alternative work arrangements can be made or agreed on.

It is also important especially when working from home to take a tea or lunch break and also to connect with your colleagues as a way of sustaining relationships and keeping abreast.

In my professional field monthly supervision is mandatory. I have a privilege of being able to receive supervision online, and my external supervisor makes it easy by constantly checking-in with me. However, for some people it might be a challenge because of internet connection, or anxiety to enter into a whole new digital world. For that, constant checking-in is important to lower the anxiety and improve cohesion in a work place, considering the “new normal”.

The lesson during this period has been: learn, unlearn and relearn. Most importantly breath, attend to yourself first so that you can be able to attend to others. After all we have different ways of practicing self-care or defining self-care.

 

… be present and connect.

 

Written by

Palesa Lekhesa

Palesa Lekhesa is the Thuthuzela Care Centre Coordinator for Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust and recently joined the AWDF (African Women’s Development Fund) on a retreat in Ghana with a focus on self care. This has inspired Palesa to deepen her thinking about self care and to bring others along on this journey too.

17th Jun 2020/by zeenat
https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png 0 0 zeenat https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png zeenat2020-06-17 20:06:582020-06-20 12:09:01Self-Care during COVID-19

‘At the beginning, it wasn’t called feminism. It was called an attitude problem.’

feminism

—–Read Neliswa Tshazi’s essay from the book Living While Feminist

 

Becoming

At the beginning, it wasn’t called feminism. It was called an attitude problem. I informed my mother that I disliked cooking and had no interest in learning. My precious mother tolerated this, in spite of disapproval by the rest of the family and neighbours. She did not force me as any mother would have. Instead she allowed me to be the bookworm I am and gave me space as well as support to pursue my studies.

It continued with refusing to be called someone’s girlfriend. I now understand that what I meant was that I didn’t want to be owned. I wanted to be my own person, not to be told what to do or how to be, especially by a man. It also meant not taking kindly to a man arguing or validating his utterances with ‘because I am a man’. Now I am struggling with the idea of marriage. It gives me a suffocating feeling, like I will be placing myself in a position of submission.

As an adult, I always found myself effortlessly, willingly and intentionally in the defence and protection of women in all matters. I wanted (I still want) people to be as they wish and feel. However, for a long time, I would dispute it when my university friends would refer to me as a feminist. University was also the first time I would be named as one. I didn’t want a label.

I did not think I could be called a feminist because I viewed feminists as these well-educated, well-read, and intelligent thinkers—people who knew things I did not know and probably could never know. I could not identify myself that way and I did not know when this would happen to me or when I would reach such levels. It didn’t help that I was not quite sure what it meant to be a feminist. I also do not know why I did not eagerly pursue understanding the concept; maybe I did not want to find out.

I realise now that that understanding was based on a singular story of feminism that I had somehow accessed. My understanding has been expanded, particularly on African feminisms. I know in my heart that I am an African feminist, whether I say or acknowledge it or not. That doesn’t mean the label comes without reservations and confusion.

Unlearning and learning: eschewing the ‘perfect’ feminist

My current and intermittent reservation on being named a feminist is how aggressive people on social media tend to be to feminists, including social media feminists to other feminists. It is as if there are people waiting to pounce on others the minute you say or type something unpopular or disagreeable. There is an expectation of perfect or pure feminism; no room for error and differing perspectives.

I get that when you are a feminist you have to consciously politicise yourself; this happens through reading, engaging, writing, in the process of learning, unlearning and relearning. This then makes it possible to have expectations on the tone and kinds of conversations and behaviour for a feminist.

However, it sometimes feels that we do not fully acknowledge the impact of existence in a world that normalises patriarchy and how deeply entrenched it is in our societies and within us. Patriarchy is such a part of our lives that sometimes we may not be aware that we have enacted it or that our thinking is saturated within it. Such unlearning takes time.

Alongside the leaps and progress made, learning is a process that has to be approached with a level of patience. I think such recognition would allow us to consider how serious a fight it is. It is as if one has to undergo a form of exorcism from patriarchal norms. This then makes me understand how activists become fatigued and overwhelmed; because it can feel as if they are fighting everything and everyone. And it never ends but we also never stop.

My reservation is also based on the observation that it seems there are gatekeepers who have a certain way of going about feminism and then seem to expect the towing of that line. This is followed by name-calling upon deviating from that line, such as the term ‘pseudo-feminists’. I find that silencing and oppressive. It doesn’t provide room for being and learning. And I would not want to find myself identifying with that.

At the same time, I feel uncomfortable with the idea that we can just decide what is and what is not feminism when it suits us. Sometimes it feels there is no common understanding or agreement of what it means. While I’m reluctant to allow one group of feminists to ‘own’ feminism, I would like a common or grounding idea of feminism to root me and others.

I am an African feminist, but tend to assert this in what I consider to be safe spaces; in other spaces you are most likely to hear me make statements such as ‘… I am inclined to feminist thinking …’ (which is the truth) or ‘… I aspire to be feminist …’ (the aspiration is linked to that idea of being knowledgeable, or well-educated).

I still feel I am becoming.

Making theory reality: living feminism in my life

I know that feminism implies a reimagined social order. Feminism means seeking gender equality in terms of access to social, financial, educational and political opportunities as well as being mindful of and active against all forms of oppression on all sectors of society. Feminism is challenging gender norms and stereotypes.

Over the years, I have also become more aware of what I say and how I behave in order to smash my own patriarchal tendencies. However, it seems there are gender norms in my life that just manage to go unchallenged and when I think about it, I can’t see a clear path out. For instance, as a black South African woman, I have cultural practices that are part of my being. In these practices, there is a clear division of gender roles in that ceremonies are led by men. In all our cultural ceremonies—giving thanks, lobola negotiations or the welcoming of a child—there is evoking of ancestors. This is always done by men who may be elders in the family. Even the opening and welcoming of family/friends and neighbours into the ceremony are done by men. Women have just as significant a role in our cultural practices, but their role is hardly recognised as valuable. Women are seen as accessories to the process.

I have not seen myself attempt to question or challenge this. I have accepted that the men in my family will lead, just as I am happy to be spared the opportunity to slaughter any livestock. It is during these times that I do the ‘walk of shame’—admitting to myself that this patriarchal norm has just made my life easier. This relief is short-lived. At times like this, it suits me to not name myself as a feminist because then I don’t have to answer questions about what behaviour I insert myself within and allow. I’m less critical of myself. Sometimes I let myself off the hook.

Feminism is my superpower

I have deep love for my feminist life. Feminism heightens my awareness to the human condition. I have developed a sharper eye and ear to a harmful status quo. I notice the formal and informal conversations that are unjust and unprogressive in my circles. Feminism has made me pay attention.

I am a quiet and introverted person and believe my strength is in writing. I am happy to be called a ‘keyboard activist’. I use my keyboard and my voice to denounce oppression when I see or hear it in my family and community spaces. The best part is that even the smallest forms of activism help the greater protection of human rights.

My feminism feels like the nurturing aspect of parenting; whereby parents become aware of their children’s different discomforts at different times and act within their means to help address those discomforts. It’s about being constantly aware of how people can be differently oppressed. I feel as if I am gaining that superpower and ability. It also seems to require patience and the ability to forgive oneself. As much as I am sharpened in my awareness, I still miss some things. That is why feminist support networks are so valuable.

Recently, my feminism has been greatly and warmly supported by the women at Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust and at the African Women’s Development Fund. There, I found an investment in my becoming a feminist leader and an enabling space was availed for my feminism to be strengthened. I left the feminist leadership coaching journey with a mind and heart well placed to further the cause in my corner.

This is, and never was, an attitude problem; this is my feminist journey. I can also proclaim, as African Feminists declared in the AWDF Feminist Charter that ‘I am a feminist, no buts and no ifs.’

Neliswa Tshazi qualified as a social worker at UCT. You can find her at Rape Crisis supporting and empowering survivors of gender-based violence. Follow her on Twitter.

26th May 2020/by zeenat
https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png 0 0 zeenat https://rapecrisis.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rape-Crises-Logo-NEW-1.png zeenat2020-05-26 15:33:012020-05-26 17:20:02‘At the beginning, it wasn’t called feminism. It was called an attitude problem.’
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