If you have already registered for the protest by completing the form during O-Week or at Societies sign-up, please log on to check your registration. You can change your t-shirt size, type of participation etc.
To check your registration for Silent Protest 2010:
1. Access http://ruconnected.ru.ac.za/course/view.php?id=1988 using your email username and password.
- Users can also find the course by clicking on “All courses� under “My courses� on the left, then on “Dean of Students� and then on “Sexual Violence = Silence Protest 2010).
2. To change your record, first find it by clicking on the “Search� tab (second from right)
- Fill in some of your details and click on “Save settings�.
- Click on the edit icon (a little hand holding a pen) below your record.
- Make the required changes and click on the “Save and view� button at the bottom.
ABOUT THE PROTEST:
Silent Protest 2009
There are three 3 different kinds of participation in the day-long protest on 23 April:
- Men: T-shirts with 'solidarity with women who speak out' on the front & explanation on the back
- Silent women: T-shirts with 'sexual violence causes silence' on the front & explanation on the back (gagged all day, no food or water)
- Rape survivors: T-shirts with 'rape survivor' on the front & explanation on the back
Both staff and students are welcome to participate.
We are aiming to maintain the 1 in 9 ratio, so for every 'rape survivor' there will be 8 other silenced women. All participants can choose which t-shirt they want and their level of participation.
The flyers we distribute on the day will say:
“I am silent today because:
Government statistics report that 55 000 women were raped in SA annually. Medical Research Council statistics indicate that only 1 in 9 rape survivors go on to report the rape and of these, only 4% are successfully prosecuted. These statistics translate to approximately 500 000 rapes annually. There are approximately 24 million women in SA – which means that based on current statistics, if a woman lives to be 50 years old she has an almost 100% chance of being raped at least once. These numbers are unacceptable to me – and they should be unacceptable to you too. Rape limits human potential. It silences people, makes them less than human, keeps them afraid and isolated. My silence today affirms my solidarity with the 8 in 9 women silenced by rape and sexual violence. Freedom of Speech is denied to victims of sexual violence. I call on all men to break the cycle of sexual violence. Stand up against sexual violence and help us create a world where women are truly equal, where they are free to walk where they want to, when they want to, wearing what they want to. Until we achieve those goals – women will remain silenced. We have a long way to go!�
For more information contact l.klazinga@ru.ac.za