I read with horror the reports of more gang rape in the DRC over the past weekend. Many women and young men were raped by soldiers (of a form), with guns and violence that will impact on them for life. Many of these soldiers are themselves young men,...
On Saturday night I made my way in a Rikki taxi to attend what I expected to be an Afrikaans sokkie-jol in the heart of a suburb of Cape Town. We pulled up outside the rugby hall to hear what sounded like evangelical music pouring out the window. I l...
I was reading an article about the rights that victims of crime have in terms of getting compensated after they have been to court. In this article, and the poll on the side of the post, there was the general sentiment that money simply wasn't going ...
A lot of the law around children requires ordinary citizens who know about child abuse or molestation to report it. It is in fact illegal to know about this stuff and not report it -- if you don't report, you are complicit. This makes sense in some r...
Every year 1 400 women are killed by their partners, and maybe we were listening.
If your neighbour plays music really loud on a week night, do you go over and ask them to keep it down? If they start banging their drums at 9pm in a residentia...
Pssst ... hey you. Guess what? Women think about sex ... sometimes more than once a day. Sometimes we're thinking about it while you're talking to us at our desks. Sometimes we're thinking about it on the bus. Sometimes we're just thinking about it w...
I was talking with some family members a while back about rape and something scary became apparent. Most people think that there is a grey area between yes and no, and that sometimes even when you say no, people are still sympathetic to the person wh...
I was watching Ricky Gervais' Fame tour last night and about 30 minutes in he starts joking about rape. In the skit he asks "what sort of society has to remind people not to rape?" It's referring to an advertisement that emphasises consent in sexual ...
You won't believe what I've won this week. I've never been so lucky. I couldn't believe it. My Karma cow finally moo'd into the pasture outside my house bringing with it a host of winnings and good fortune. This week I have simultaneously won the Ame...
I'm sure many a man has heard of the vagina dentata -- a mysterious and powerful vagina with teeth that will devour a penis in seconds. It is a fearful picture to create in anyone's mind, especially when the vagina is not like that at all. Somehow th...
Jennifer is a young feminist, activist and advocate for women's rights.
She is a big fan of debate and discussion, and always keen for a good constructive argument. Her interests like with all issues relating to the body and to the many ways that government and society regulate our bodies.
She likes talking about uncomfortable issues so that they become a little easier to negotiate in our day to day life.
She has started a women's writing project called 'My First Time' which can be accessed using the link below. She is thrilled with the results.
She's working at Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust as the researcher, loving the feminist vibe and is working on bits and bobs here and there.
My First Time A writing project that has blossomed into a blog. Over 80 women have written stories for me on their 'first time' experiences that have impacted their lives. You can read their stories and comment here.
Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust An incredible organisation working to achieve justice for women, and to provide support to rape survivors and their loved ones.
Victim Empowerment South Africa A blog about the positive side of being a victim of crime, how victims can empower themselves and what the law and policy says to support them.
