Does Women’s Month really matter or is it just an opportunity for different people including our politicians to gloat?
The answers will certainly differ depending on individual beliefs and circumstances. However, from my perspective the month does not really address or deal with the challenges faced by women.
Just like the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, we make all the noise but nothing changes. Rapists continue to rape, abusers continue to abuse women and children, even pensioners. This phenomenon appears to be on the rise whenever we observe these milestones.
Nearly 30 years into a democratic South Africa, women continue to face the challenges faced by their 1956 counterparts.
Sadly, this narrative will continue to manifest itself for as long as there are no tangible or punitive measures against the perpetrators.
We all know that perpetrators of these crimes are sometimes people who are close to the victims; as a result they get away with murder due to family ties and associated benefits.
The President’s suggestion on Women’s Day for women to be compensated for doing house chores does not seem to be a viable alternative either. This could potentially fuel the problem as men could simply see women as less important. In fact, the compensation has the potential to promote the same narrative we have been struggling to root out that women are not equal to men.
Perpetrators of crime against women deserve the harshest punishment. That is one way to get this matter to bed.
Lindiwe Sisulu’s suggestion at the recently concluded African National Congress policy conference that rapists should be castrated is a viable solution. Yes, there are some legal and ethical issues around this and that is where our legal boffins come in.
Our laws need to bite and be airtight. The departments of police and justice as well as correctional services need to work very closely for the benefit of victims. We need to close all the loopholes that make a mockery of our justice system.
Who could forget the botched prosecution of Shrien Dewani for the alleged murder of his wife, Anni? After a protracted legal battle to get Dewani back into South Africa for the murder, Judge Jeanette Traverso described the evidence led by prosecutors as “far below the threshold” to convict him, landing a devastating blow to Anni’s family.
While most cases are committed by South Africans, people from outside our boarders are also seemingly realising the weaknesses in our laws.
The recent rape of eight women in Krugersdorp is another example of how people from other countries can come into our boarders and do as they please.
As the nation and our legal experts we must come together to find meaningful solutions to the raging war against women and children.
We must come up with laws that will make the would-be offender tremble at the thought of committing crime against our mothers, sisters and young children.
After all it is the law that gets perpetrators behind or outside the bars.
