EPISODE 4 - Gender Violence

This week Siyayinqoba Beat It! examines the issue of gender based violence. South Africa has one of the highest rape statistics in the world and according to some estimates as many as one in six women experience domestic abuse. In addition to the trauma suffered by thousands of women across South Africa, the rape and abuse of women are major contributors to the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The Siyayinqoba team first visits the Mbalenhle Township at BB section in Mgungundlovu, KwaZulu Natal. Ma Masondo, 54 years old, describes how she was raped and beaten in 1998 by two men. The men were chased away but her would be rescuer soon returned "demanding payback" and she was raped a third time. The attack left her HIV positive. We visit Masithandande Support Group where Ma Masondo and other gender based violence survivors describe the lack of protection afforded by the local police. Thankfully Ma Masondo was able to find some peace in the counselling offered by the support group.

gender violence - rape

Most women are raped by a family member or somebody they know and a large number of people who experience rape are teenagers and children. Beat It! goes to Qaqeni in Lady Frere in the Eastern Cape to hear from rape survivor - Zandile Marawu - who was just 16 when she was raped. Zandile reported her case to the police but there has been no progress in the investigation. When Zandile reported the rape she was not given counselling or Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP). In 2005 Zandile fell pregnant and tested HIV positive.

A nurse at Thuthuzela Care Centre in Cecilia Makiwane Hospital explains the PEP procedure that would have protected Zandile. It is important that survivors of rape have access to such treatment within 72 hours of the attack in order to prevent the transmission of HIV. Crucially women are no longer required to lay a charge before they can be treated. Nevertheless it is important that rape is reported and that the police do their job - currently it is estimated that only 7% of reported rapes lead to a conviction.

PEP

Sadly being married is not enough to protect women from abusive sexual relationships and rape within marriage is all too common as Siyayinqoba discovered in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape. Thobeka Venge was raped and contracted HIV from her husband. The life of Thobeka and her children was made unbearable through her husband's alcoholism, infidelity and sexual abuse. The abuse culminated when her husband tried to kill his family and Thobeka was forced to seek help.

Thankfully there are organizations like the Family and Marriage Association of South Africa (FAMSA), which offers counseling, advice and even a safe house for survivors of domestic violence. According to Anne Harris, director of FAMSA Grahamstown, the Domestic Violence Act describes what constitutes abuse be it physical, emotional or sexual and offers women legal protection. Thobeka obtained guidance and legal aid through FAMSA and its affiliates and finally divorced her husband.

FAMSA

The stories of Ma Masondo, Zandile and Thobeka are reminders of the extraordinary extent of gender based violence across South Africa - where in a recent study one in four men admitted to committing rape. Not enough is being done to protect these women from physical abuse, emotional trauma and infection with HIV and other STIs. The criminal justice system must do more but gender based violence requires all of society to speak out so men will no longer feel free to commit such appalling crimes.

IT'S A FACT

Rape and HIV are strongly associated in South Africa

In South Africa there are between a hundred thousand and four hundred thousand rapes each year. Different surveys produced different results for the number of unreported rapes making difficult to get a correct number.

Over 53 000 rapes are reported to police each year.  About 20 000 of these involve the rape of children.

An extensive 2009 study in KwaZulu Natal and Eastern Cape by Rachel Jewkes and others for the Medical Research Council revealed:

• 27.6 % of men admitted to rape;

• 14.3% admitted they had raped a current or ex-girlfriend

• 8.9% of men admitting to rape had done so with one or more other perpetrators;

• HIV prevalence amongst men who raped was 19.6%;

• While only 2.9% admitted to raping another male, 27.8% of those who did so were HIV positive;

• 42.4% of men admitted to being physically violent to an intimate partner - 14% in the past year;

• Men who are physically violent towards their partners are far more likely to engage in high risk sexual  behaviour

HIV positive women were 2.68 times more likely than HIV negative women to have experienced a violent episode by a current partner. Young HIV-positive women (18-29 years) were ten times more likely to report partner violence than young HIV negative women.

Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) - initiating of an antiretroviral dual drug regimen of AZT and 3TC for 28 days after rape is effective in preventing transmission of HIV.

Treatment should be started as soon as possible but not later than 72 hours after the rape.

In order to take PEP, an HIV test is required to ensure that a rape survivor is not already HIV positive

PEP can be accessed without any report of the crime to the police

Only 7% of reported rapes are estimated to lead to a conviction

Community mobilisation in support of the arrest, prosecution and conviction of rapists is necessary to ensure more convictions.