Citation

Mcfadden P. South Afr. Polit. Econ. Mon. 1993; 7(1): 48-51.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, Mount Pleasant)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12287226

Abstract

Soldiers in Bosnia-Herzegovina freely rape and kill women. In Botswana, a policeman laughed when a mother reported the rape of her daughter; he commented that some men are fortunate and do not have to pay for sex. His behavior condoned rape as men's right to any female they want. Girls are the most vulnerable of all females. In South Africa, white adults claim that black men and women spread HIV, yet white policemen and white soldiers have raped many black women. White bosses often rape their black housekeepers. A rapist is defined an any man who believes he has the right to rape a woman or child to express his patriarchal sexual power. Most rapists in Africa are black men. Yet many adults continue to deny that male Africans rape and molest children, explaining in part why rape of children and married women is still a silent problem. A study in Zimbabwe shows that the numbers of children less than 11 years old who are raped is increasing quickly (in 1993, 56 of 57 children were girls). Men tend to rape women whom they know, who are often female family members. Men in all classes violate women with whom they work. Rarely do women place themselves in danger. Marital rape is no uncommon, but is often ignored. Society tends to blame the victim, even when she is a child. Same-sex rape does occur, but is rare, and often occurs in prisons. Soldiers, especially during war, believe that women have no value. Men from both sides always consider women to be the enemy. Instead of being captured and shot, women are raped and desecrated as human beings. Often soldiers have no identity outside of their military uniform, and that identity is limited to taking orders, so they assume power over unarmed, defenseless women.

Language: en