Young men must take a stand against GBV on campus

“According to the South African Police annual crime statistics, there were 42,289 rapes reported in 2019/2020, as well as 7,749 sexual assaults. Most of these types of crimes are suffered by women, at the hands of boys and men. Sadly, South Africa’s institutions of higher learning are increasingly becoming places where gender-based violence (GBV) is being perpetrated. There are statistics that confirm this.

Every day, young women are violated, humiliated, and dehumanised by men. On the other hand, men can also be part of the solution. We need to see our young men taking a stand in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). We want to see young men in Mzansi saying: GBVF ends with me.

Tshepo Sefotlhelo, Executive Head: Marketing & Communication of the GBVF Response Fund.

Society has been normalising rape and other forms of violence for far too long. Dealing with any form of violation after the fact is too late. “We urgently need to address the attitudes of young men about women’s bodies. The toxicities of masculinity need to be addressed – especially in schools and on university campuses – to change the socialisation of boys and young men,” says Sefotlhelo.

The GBVF Response Fund encourages South Africa’s young men to consider these facts:

• At this very moment, there’s a female student who’s part of the 57.5% of the survivors who couldn’t attend lectures after being violated by a man.
• In 80–90% of GBV-related crimes on campus, victims and assailants know each other as friends, acquaintances, or people they go out with.
• Right now, on SA campuses, there are men who have a hand in the 36.1% of students who’ve experienced physical GBV.
• At the hands of men, 57.8% of students have experienced some form of GBV at their universities.
• Research indicates that 45.4% of the committers of sexual GBV were university friends, followed by unfamiliar people at 21.7%, boyfriends at 19%, and lecturers at 15.2%.

“We urge our young men to remember that even in your relationship, consent is still a real thing. NO always means NO. An attractive young lady wearing ‘that skirt’ to a lecture is not an invitation for a cat call. If young men see their friends acting in a disrespectful or abusive manner, call them out and urge them to do better,” concludes Sefotlhelo.”

Press release ends.

You might think it – but you are NOT alone – everyone on the I AM Youth team has been there, and we want to help. We offer free WhatsApp counselling, or you can chat with us on our Youth Hotline.