South Africa: Men Protest Against Abuse Of Women and Children

Men in South Africa are standing up for the rights of women and children. Hundreds of protesters marched in Pretoria, the South African capital to protest against violence against women and children.

If you thought that India is alone in dealing with the problem of sexual violence against women, then you should know that South Africa reports one of the highest rates of sexual violence in the world. In the last year, 64,000 cases were reported to the authorities.

Protesters took to the streets and marched behind a woman dressed in white from head to toe. It was a symbolic gesture. Some men held cards that had names of sexual violence sufferers. This year has been a tough one for South Africans as there has been a series of murders of women and children. The President of the country Jacob Zuma has described the situation as a crisis.

"You hear a lady screaming next door, you decide to sleep when you know there is a problem. No man should beat a woman or rape a woman while you're watching."

Mr Masha, a protester at the march said that men have been quiet about this issue for too long and it was time that they address this. He said, "You hear a lady screaming next door, you decide to sleep when you know there is a problem. No man should beat a woman or rape a woman while you're watching."

India recorded around 35,000 cases of rape last year. As we have been sensitising people about the  rape epidemic in our country the same is true for South Africa. Men all over the world need to take charge of this issue as this is not an issue that affects women only.

During a survey in South Africa, it was found that 38% men in a town had used force or threats to get sex. It is a sad situation and the nation is hoping that more men participate in such marches so that the rate of sexual violence in South Africa can come down.

Pic credits: BBC

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