Gender Bias In South Africa

It is difficult to think of South Africa without thinking of Apartheid. The system of racial segregation imposed by the National Party in the not so distant past may have been lifted in 1994 but the mark it left has hardly been washed away. South Africa is largely black African with only about 9% of the population comprised of white Africans. During Apartheid, many ideas surrounding the role of women cemented themselves in almost all racial, ethnic, and economic groups existing in South Africa. There is and has been a long standing belief that women are intrinsically less than their male counterpart. The effect of these cultural and sometimes religious beliefs as well as an all out HIV/AIDS epidemic has created an environment in South African that unequally burdens the lives of women. (Vuyisile, 299) A culture of violence and sexual assault has been fostered in the country that hits the female population much harder than its male counterpart. This has resulted in a high risk of HIV infection as well as a high rate of sexual assault and poor living conditions for women.

The various cultural belies surrounding sex in South Africa have made it extremely difficult for a woman to say no to sex. Myths surrounding rape make it hard to convince men of their wrongdoing and even harder to make women understand they have a right to say no. Most women believe if they know the man that rapes them, they can’t say no to sex. The myth that its only rape if a stranger does it is hard to overcome. Men often think they are entitled to sex. Almost 80% of a group of South African men polled believed that it was a woman’s fault for being raped. (Meier, 532) Rape culture myths about ‘a woman asking for it’ are all too common. When South African male youth was polled, 50% felt that if a girl said no she actually meant yes. A third of that same group felt that if they knew the girl then forcing sex wasn’t sexual violence. A majority of men understood that recreational gang rape was bad, however most male youth 15-19 thought it was just a game. (Meier, 533)

In a study done on the gender attitudes and sexual assault based myths for a sample population of South Africans it was found that over 40% of women had been sexually assaulted compared to the 16% of men. It also found that from that same sample 1 in 5 men openly admitted to having perpetrated sexual assault. The same study found that for men the risk of getting HIV was connected to sexual assault history, rape myth acceptance, and alcohol/drug use. In comparison, women were at a substantially higher risk for infection however their risk factors only included low education levels. This information leads to the conclusion that the high rate of HIV in women was the product of “partner characteristics and male dominated relationships” (Vuyisile, 302) as well as sexual assault. This study concluded that prevention should focus on dismantling the rape culture myths and bias gender attitudes but the data also suggested that female education rates could be beneficial if improved.   (Vuyisile, 302)

In Africa, 70% of adults have AIDS (Seager, 49) and 80% of children have AIDS. (Meier, 532) South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV in Africa with over 15% of the population infected with HIV. In most of sub-Saharan Africa women outnumber men in those living with HIV. According to the World Health Organization in many areas the number of women living with HIV is double that of the men.

            A second study published in the Journal of Women’s Health entitled Gender and Poverty in South Africa in the Era of HIV/AIDS found that gender inequality was a driving factor in the epidemic of HIV infection. This particular study focused on the way poverty corresponds with HIV infection rates. It also focused on a gender based analysis of heads of household. The reason for this being that HIV has been a primary cause of the increase in single parent households and a decrease in marriage rates. The study based its research on the information that there is a relationship between poverty and HIV infection rates. A lack of education, basic needs, and services directly influenced an individual’s chances of contracting an STI. In South Africa township residents are at greatest risk for HIV because of the level of poverty and unsanitary living conditions. Of the sample interviewed (6338 men and 10,057 women) over 50% men identified as heads of the household whereas only 34% of women claimed the same. The study results show that the correlation between poverty and HIV is influenced by gender, age, and household roles. (Khangelani, 40)

            The results showed that among men ages 15-24 it was significantly more likely that those who lived without cash would be infected versus those that rarely went without cash. The same results for the females of that age group found that HIV infection rates varied little depending on poverty level. Essentially economic stability only helped men avoid infection significantly. Although it was discovered that of those who were without cash, women had an infection rate twice as high as the men implying that poverty affected a woman’s chance of getting HIV more than a mans. (Khangelani, 40)

            The same study was conducted for adults over 25. The results were relatively the same for men. More cash income meant less likelihood of HIV infection. For women the study for adults differed from that of the youth results. Results found that the poorer a woman, the higher the chances of HIV infection. All of that data found boils down to the conclusion that sex and gender are important factors in vulnerability to HIV infection in South Africa. Poverty was the biggest determining factor with sex following behind. The recommendation for prevention based on the results of this study focused on educational attainment for South African women. The rates of HIV among uneducated women were highest due to poverty levels. (Khangelani, 41)

            One obstacle to increasing education in girls is the school system. During apartheid schools were the sight of many political uprisings with teachers and students fighting for the end of the oppression and segregation. After the apartheid system was lifted, many educators had trouble refocusing their efforts on education and dismantling the violence in schools. There is also a lack of qualified educators.

Apartheid segregated schools and the schools for black children taught only the most basic skills designed for menial jobs. The professional jobs were carved out only for white children. Now a new generation must take control of the education system but they are ill prepared due to their own poor education. Another obstacle is that teachers are dying from HIV. The school system responsible for education the population is fractured. Women specifically are at risk because 40% of the rapes that occur at school are perpetrated by the teachers. Going to school is not a glamorous option for many girls. (Meier, 533)

During Apartheid segregation acts enabled the government of South African to force black Africans and mixed race Africans to move from their homes to designated areas outside of the city. Those ‘areas’ became what are known today as townships, miles and miles of shacks and poorly constructed shelters. These living conditions breed violence. Living spaces are typically only about 8X8 foot rooms and can have entire families living in them. There is generally no privacy for dressing or sexual relations between partners. Multiple people living in the same space exposes children and young women to situations where it’s more likely they will be assaulted. Townships also often have areas of low visibility like trash heaps or tall grasses that can create areas of risk for unattended children. (Meier, 532) Children are often unattended as their parents are impoverished and must work or travel long distances for basic needs like fuel and water. Another sad fact is that AIDS is robbing many children of their parents and orphans are often left unattended even if they have family members willing to shelter them.

Women in South Africa face a staggeringly high rate of sexual assault including child rape. In the past 20 years rape of children and infants has increased 400%. (Meier, 532) “It is a fact that a woman born in South Africa has a greater chance of being raped, that learning to read.” (Dempster, 1) Many institutions and studies produce different numbers of women raped in South Africa but all the results are troubling and it’s estimated that almost 1 million women are raped each year. Almost half of those are under 18. It wasn’t until a series of high profile and extremely disturbing baby rapes that much attention was paid to increasing consequences for such crimes.

            Cultural beliefs and myths are also at the heart of the child rape problem in South Africa, which is unfortunately contributing to HIV transmission. There is a belief in Africa that that having sex with a virgin will cure your HIV. It’s a myth that in Gauteng, almost 30% of men believe. The AIDS epidemic has made people desperate. Treatment is expensive and myths for a cure can be quite powerful. In South Africa, considering the sexual assault rates, it is unlikely raping at random would lead you to a virgin. Many women have been assaulted more than once. The desperation to find virgins has led those that believe the myth to target children and even babies. AIDS drugs cost about 50$ a month and the median income for a black South African is about 300$ a year provided they are employed. The unemployment rate is almost 60%. People are desperate. (Meier, 533)

            The aftermath of apartheid, economic factors, cultural beliefs, and an out of control AIDS epidemic have ultimately created a culture of sexual violence for women and children. It’s an understatement to say it is difficult to be a woman in South Africa; it is even more difficult to be a black woman in South Africa.

Works Cited.

Dempster, Carolyn. "Rape: Silent War on SA Women." BBC News. BBC, 04 Sept. 2002. Web. 15 Oct. 2013.

Khangelani Zuma, et al. "Gender And Poverty In South Africa In The Era Of HIV/AIDS: A Quantitative Study." Journal Of Women's Health (15409996) 19.1 (2010): 39-46. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.

Meier, Eileen. "Child Rape In South Africa." Pediatric Nursing 28.5 (2002): 532. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.

Seager, Joni. The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World: Fourth Edition. N.p.: Penguin, 2008. Print.

Vuyisile Mathiti, et al. "Gender Attitudes, Sexual Violence, And HIV/AIDS Risks Among Men And Women In Cape Town, South Africa." Journal Of Sex Research 42.4 (2005): 299-305. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.