UN chief pushes for the recognition of rape as a form of genocide

Finally a high-level recognition that this has got to stop. The stats in the article (you can read this article here) are only part of the story in this horrific epidemic of sexual violence.

Sexual violence has become endemic. It forms part of the structure of national identity - either as something ignored (as seems to be the case in the DRC) as part of societal functioning (keeping women in their place or having men's needs satisfied), or as something that is feared and constantly at the forefront of people's mind as it is quite literally lurking behind every corner. In the former case, rape has often not even been tackled for the problem that it is. However, all the thinking around the topic in the latter case has left us with very little in the way of actually tackling this problem.

Rapists walk free, are let off or are given light sentences because of 'evidence problems' or questions about the credibility of the rape survivor. Judges are ill-equipped or lack the will to make the decision to take a stand against this deplorable performance of sick masculinities.

Ban Ki Moon has called for greater penalties for rapists. This is important for high level thought patterns around the topic. Without these thoughts, our action to support rape survivors is denied legitimacy. But we have a bigger job than just thinking.

Our job then is to begin to tackle thought patterns on the ground, in our offices and in our workplaces. It is to support women in our offices, education centres and friendship circles who are surviving domestic rape, are subject to sexual harassment because they are beautiful, are subject to hostility because of their sexuality or are simply considered lesser than because they are women.

It is our job to destroy the silences after a sexist joke, and ensure the uncomfortability of the jester.

It is our job to question the friend who is accused of rape, and not accept that he is falsely accused just because 'he is such a nice person'. Be blunt - ask him, and assess for yourself the truth of his answer based not on his personality but on the facts.

Our job is to challenge men to come to the table and discuss these issues, and to allow us all to discuss issues that they may feel are only part of 'masculinity' together, and with constructive criticism.

Our job is to challenge our political leaders to lead; to lead the struggle against sexual violence without acquiescing to its inevitability. To hold them accountable to statements and not allow the echoes of the empty promises to protect women to ring in our ears any longer.

To quote a popular song - "It's time to make a choice...raise your voice, raise it now".

Obama calls for a month of celebration of LGBTI people

I am just totally enamoured with Obama right now. After a worrying curve ball at the beginning of his term, when several right wing extremists proposed proposition 8, it is so pleasing to note that Obama has come through on his promises to end discrimination in the USA.

The mere acknowledgement that LGBTI groups and individuals often go unacknowledged is a huge conceptual step for the American leadership, and it is going to force some of the more conservative Americans to take stock of what they believe in. This has been a long time coming and is worthy of admiration and praise from other nations.

Back home however, there is no indication that the same group of people are met with anything but hostility, social exclusion and violence. Corrective rape (where someone rapes you to try and 'turn' you back straight) is on the increase, gay-bashing is still a reality and the social awareness of diversity is limited. Our president made clear his opinion about homosexuality, and the evidence suggests that this is an opinion shared by a large group of people.

I wonder if Obama would be proud to say his roots were in Africa, if he knew that Africa is currently a place of intolerance and violence? I think our own leaders need to recognise that their conservative and regressive perspectives need broadening, and that gender and sexual equality should no longer be a theoretical construct but should be daily practice.

The State of the Nation address was ambitious, but there were glaring abscences that have occurred time and time again. How can the crime of rape, of which South Africa has the highest rate of a country not at war, go unmentioned in the address. This country is seeing both our women and our children abused and violated, stripped of their rights and irrevocably harmed, and for this crime to be unacknowledged is itself a crime. The news this week has had startling headlines such as "10000 child prostitutes in Johannesburg" and "530 child rapes a day". To end these crimes requires leaders of the highest ranks to recognise that something is very wrong here, and that they play a huge role in helping to restore a sense of dignity to vulnerable groups.

These are groups that require us to change our thinking. To open our minds and accept others, and to celebrate them. We are such a diverse country, and I hope that 2009 brings a celebration of this diversity, rather than a hardening of minds and hearts.