One in three South African men admit to rape

More than 1 in 3 South African men admit to rape:  Study

JOHANNESBURG — A new survey says more than one in three South African men admit to having committed rape.

A 2010 study led by the government-funded Medical Research Foundation says that in Gauteng province, home to South Africa’s most populous city of Johannesburg, more than 37 percent of men said they had raped a woman. Nearly 7 percent of the 487 men surveyed said they had participated in a gang rape.

More than 51 percent of the 511 women interviewed said they’d experienced violence from men, and 78 percent of men said they’d committed violence against women.

A quarter of the women interviewed said they’d been raped, but the study says only one in 25 rapes are reported to police.

“We just took what we wanted”

This is an incredible video of a warden & therapist who runs a counseling program in a prison in South Africa, a country where 28% of men admit to committing rape.

Here’s the article by Elena Ghanotakis: South Africa:  Inside the Culture of Rape

My guide inside Pollsmoor was warden and therapist Chris Malgas, who runs a counseling program for convicted offenders using groupwork and individual therapy. My follow up story is a raw look at some of those interactions between Chris and his group, a testament to why it’s so difficult to stop South Africa’s cycle of sexual abuse.

Most of the sessions took place on the prison roof, away from the chaos and overcrowded conditions below. For safety reasons, we could only film during the mornings before the prison was locked down for the afternoon.

The perpetrators testimonies provide a grim picture of growing up in the townships and the crimes these men committed. Many talked about being exposed to violent gang culture from a young age, where rape was a rite of passage. “We just took what we wanted,” one gang member told me; it was “part of everyday things.”

Here’s the video – it’s 11 minutes long, but don’t let that put you off – it’s very interesting:

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/watch/player.html?pkg=rc93safrica&seg=1&mod=0

The anti-rape condom

While it doesn’t hurt to have more options for preventing sexual assault, I’m not sure how I feel about this anti-rape condom. I would love to be able to walk on some trails in my neighborhood – by myself – but I’m not sure I would put on this condom in order to do so. Personally, I’d like something more convenient – like something that could fit into my hand or pocket.

New anti-rape female condom, Rape-axe, debuts at South Africa’s World Cup

Dr. Sonnet Ehlers has invented Rape-axe, a female device with jagged hooks that latch onto a man’s penis during penetration.

The doctor is distributing 30,000 of these condoms in South Africa during this year’s World Cup.

“It hurts,” Ehlers told CNN. “He cannot pee and walk when it’s on. If he tries to remove it, it will clasp even tighter.”

South Africa has one of the highest rape rates in the world, according to Human Rights Watch. It is also believed that 16 percent of the population is living with HIV.

Rape-axe is inserted like a tampon and when embedded to a man the device can only be removed by a doctor.

Here is another story from the NY Times on the increase of violence against women, particularly rape, in Haiti.

Sexual assaults add to miseries of Haiti’s ruins 

Since the earthquake, international relief groups have expressed concerns about violence against women, especially in the camps under their watch. Poor or nonexistent lighting, unlockable latrines, adjacent men’s and women’s showers and inadequate police protection have all been problems.