By Harriet Knight
As an act of solidarity with women who speak out against sexual violence Rhodes has for the past four years held a “silent protest”. The Rhodes University 'Sexual Violence = Silence' protest has grown steadily every year and 2010 promises to be the largest one to date, with close to 1000 people signing up to participate.
The silent protest campaign will be led by the One In Nine Campaign – made up in Grahamstown mainly Rhodes students and staff - which was established in February 2006 at the start of the rape trial of Jacob Zuma, to ensure the expression of solidarity with the woman in that trial, as well as other women who speak out about rape and sexual violence.
A total of over 580 silent participants will be gagged all day. They will go without food or water while wearing T-shirts with 'sexual violence = silence' on the front with an explanation printed on the back. About 35 women survivors will be wearing T-shirts with 'rape survivor' on the front and an explanation on the back.
At least 220 men are expected to participate, wearing T-shirts with 'solidarity with women who speak out' on the front and an explanation on the back. The remaining participants will wear T-shirts in protest.
“The protest has grown as rape survivors have become more vocal about their experiences," said Larissa Klazinga, the event organiser in the Dean of Students office.
Government statistics report that 55 000 women are raped in SA annually. Only 4% of the reported rape cases are successfully prosecuted.
According to Larissa, ”A Medical Research Council study in 2005 indicated that only 1 in 9 women raped in South African reported their rape to the SAPS, which means that nearly half a million women are raped annually in our country.
“These statistics are unacceptable and highlight the serious need for reform of the institutional framework for responding to women who speak out and has been the motivating factor behind these protests.”
The Anti Sex Crime week at Rhodes, starting on Monday 19 April, seeks to build up towards the day-long silent protest which will be taking place on Friday 23 April.
There will be an ongoing Gender Action Project (GAP) Exhibition which will last the duration of the week in Eden Grove Building, as well as a key note address by Nomboniso Gasa, the former chair of South Africa's Commission for Gender Equality.
Nomboniso has been a lifelong political activist and gender research analyst. She has tirelessly worked on human rights for women and feminism in Africa since the age of 14 when she was first detained after a student protest in the Western Cape during the years of apartheid.
She is famously remembered for her 21-day hunger strike that sought to draw international attention to Zimbabwe's deteriorating humanitarian crisis and the detention of political prisoners. Her current research interests include the de/constructions of cultural identities, masculinities, intersections of unequal patriarchal power relations with gender and other social inequalities.
Click here for the programme of events for Anti Sex Crime Week