RAPE IN ZAMBIA ON THE RISE

[taatsu]

I came across a recent story that said that "more than 10 women are raped in Zambia every week". The story is here

To put into perspective that is over 5000 women in Zambia suffering rape every year. Infact other reports suggests that this represents an increasing trend.

Here are my questions:

1. Why is rape on the rise in Zambia? Are our young men becoming more sexually desperate or just more violent?

2. If you are a woman living in Zambia, do you feel safe actually walking on the streets at night or do you fear for your life?

3. The report suggests that Government in collaboration with civil society, has begun a consultation process on a gender-based violence bill, with an amendment to the penal code providing stiffer sentences for rapists was before parliament. There's a possibility of increasing the minimum life sentence for rape to 35 years. The question is "that enough?" to tackle this problem? Are there things that Government should be doing to address this problem?

Your comments are most welcome.

[marshmello]

lol....i suggest women get sum pitbullz. yes yes walk wit yo pitbullz at night ladiez!! that will teach em not to toy wit u! >.<

[EbonySoul]

Cho, its interesting that such stats are being exposed for the public to see and hopefully do something about it. but the question we might have to ask is: ''is rape really on the increase or its just that this is when the scourge has been brought out into public thruogh some official report''?
my guess is that its been happening tho not been given the attention it deserves so far.
i think our women no longer feel safe walking alone not only at night but even during the day. mind you, some rapes occur even during the day.
i think the social decay and general disregard of morals and respect for humanity has led to such happenings.
its good the government seems to be rising to the occasion but we still need to ask if what is being done is yielding results thus far.
and the other thing challenge should be borne by all of us as individuals especially guys.
its high time we guys learnt to treasure, respect and protect our ladies.
They do a lot for us and they we owe them a favour in exchange, lets just face the reality and accept it guys!

[007blaze]

1. Why is rape on the rise in Zambia? Are our young men becoming more sexually desperate or just more violent?

1st part....Could be as pompi has pointed oout that it is only that now it receives the attention more than in the past.... or could also be because more women are courageous enough to report their cases than in the past. I believe there are many cases which are not reported for fear of embarasment etc.

2nd part......Could be so.... but I think one major reason is the morals of our women.... our women are walking naked on streets and you and me as men know very welll the effects that an almost nood woman have on a man. While it may be true that the men are becoming more violent, it is also very true that the women are to a great extent cause a lot of the cases by the way they dress. Our women today dont dress like the women of 10 years ago. You really have to be a very dedicated and displined christian to resist the temptation our women put us into by the way they reveal parts of their bodies which are supposed to be private the way they do nowadays..... and thas... to a great extent tempts the men to think sex etc. First the man will classify such a woman as a solola and will suspect she wants something so he will try to provide what she wants.... etc....In short.... the morals, ..... not only on the side of men but on the side of women too.

2. If you are a woman living in Zambia, do you feel safe actually walking on the streets at night or do you fear for your life?


This would be best answered by ladies themselves...... However I will not believe an woman who reveals her private parts in public if she says she does not feel safe. How can one walk with her vibelo out or her tummy na mukombo in the open and even revealing some pubic hair so..... yaba...Some of these hipstas in trousers form reveal even the shape of the central province ayi......Those are the things that never used to happen in the past but are happening now and are causing the guys to get out of control..... sorry mwandini

I know I can be crucified for speaking like this..... but I can eplain in case anyone needs an explaination why I beleive this way......

I hope the new law what ever it is would also try to address and try to look at what the causes of the rise in rape are so that things are fairly done. I think at one time in life we will need a low that prohibits people from walking nacked in public.... its like the natural law that tells us some parts of our bodies are private is slowly lsing its value and significance.

[sahani]

IT IS REALLY SAD. ZAMBIA DOES NOT TAKE RAPE CASES SERIOUSLY, I WISH THEY CUD CHANGE COZ LOTS OF PEEPS ARE AFFECTED. HERE, IF UR BOYFRIEND ASKS FOR SEX AND U REFUSE, THEN HE FORCES HIMSELF ON U,,THATS RAPE. IN ZAMBIA HOW MANY WOMEN GO THRU THAT. U WUD FIND THAT 3/4 OF THE WOMEN HAVE BEEN RAPED BY THEIR BOYFRIENDS, WHICH MAKES 3/4 OF THE GUYS RAPISTS..LOL!

YES POMPI I ALSO THINK THAT RAPE WAS EVEN WORSE BACK IN THE DAYS. ONLY THAT WE NEVER PAID ATTENTION TO IT. I HAVE A RELATIVE WHO WAS RAPED MORE THAN 5 TIMES,,,EVERY TIME SHE SAID IT, THEY BLAMED HER AND FOR THAT SHE KEPT THE REST TO HER SELF. THE SAD THING WAS, SHE BECAME PREGNANT. SHE THEN CAME TO AMERICA 9 YEARS AGO, AND HAS NEVER BEEN IN A RELATIONSHIP SINCE. SHE IS REALLY AFFECTED, OVER PROTECTIVE OF HER DAUGHTER. SHE CAN'T TRUST MEN ANYMORE. I DONT BLAME HER.

ALSO HAVE A FRIEND WHOSE YOUNG SISTER WAS RAPE WEN SHE WAS ONLY 10 YEARS OLD, BY A 27 YEARS OLD BROTHER IN LAW...COME ON GUYS! HOW SICK IS THAT? HECOULDN'T EVEN BE ASHAMED UNDRESSING IN FRONT OF A LITTLE GIRL? ATLEAST GO FOR OLDER WOMEN. DO U THINK THAT GIRL WILL EVER LOOK AT THE MEN LIKE ANY OTHER KIDS? OFF COURSE NOT.

THESE WOMAN NEEDS LOTS OF HELP AND ATTENTION WEN THEY EXPERIENCE RAPE..IT AFFECTS THEM ALL THEIR LIFE. AND FOR THE MEN, THEY NEED TO BE PUNISHED...BUT AGAIN, DUE TO POVERTY IN OUR COUNTRY, MOST OF THESE RAPISTS WALK AWAY FREE...IT'S SUCH A SHAME, SO SICKENING.

[EbonySoul]

COME ON GUYS! HOW SICK IS THAT? HECOULDN'T EVEN BE ASHAMED UNDRESSING IN FRONT OF A LITTLE GIRL? ATLEAST GO FOR OLDER WOMEN.

I agree with yo views sarah but i berg to differ on this one point. Rape is rape whether its with a young girl or old lady. We guys just have to take responsibility over our behavior. if a lady says no its no and we need to protect little girls and not prey on them

[sahani]

YES POMPI I KNOW IT IS THE SAME....JUST FELT SORRY FOR A 10 YEAR OLD GAL AND THEN SAID HE SHUD HAVE GONE FOR AN OLDER PERSON. ALL I WAS TRYING SAY IS THAT OLDER PEEPS WOULD HEAL QUICKER THAN THE LITTLE GIRLS. EITHER WAY, ITS BAD AND I DONT SUPPORT IT.

[scot]

young gals are learnig about AIDS and want to abstain, but the guys dont want this.statics show that guys think about sex every 5 seconds.so i think that also plays a role in the rape cases in zambia.

[taatsu]

Pompi,

You make some valid points.
I think the degree of openness of women in coming forward as increased.
I think that does reflect what we probably see as a rising trend - although as some of pointed out there are other explanations as well.

With regards to Sarah's useful but heartbreaking story - I am inclined to agree with Sarah, although rape is rape, a criminal to little child is worse than to an adult. Not only because of the emotional damage as Sarah says but also the lost innocence. Truly such crimes probably deserve the death penalty, because such is the level of injustice, no amount of rehabiliation would pay for the damage.

Malandisa,

A very pointed observation.
I think you are right that dressing has something to do with.
Obviously ladies are exposing themselves too much. But surely in the past our women used to walk bare chested etc. Infact in some other parts of africa they still do - like the Masai....they expose themselves. It does seem to me that the combination of the modern approach to sex, combined with a new style of nudity coupled with the men's exposure to pornography and the like contributes to this.
I suppose the question is how do you prevent this ? Obviously ensuring a law against women indecent exposure is one way, but surely that would limit women's freedom to express themselves? I am not convinced that stiffer penalties are right either. Its a difficult one. I think deep issues like rape really reflect the nastiness or the dark heart of a society. I have no idea how laws can resolve this issue. Perhaps moving the family back to the heart of our society is the ultimate solution?

Bert,

"statistics show that guys think about sex every 5 seconds.so i think that also plays a role in the rape cases in zambia".

I am not sure these statistics have any validity. How do you carry out such a survey?
I think girls and boys think about sex just as much. For a start very few people think about sex when they are sleeping!! so it can't be every 5 sec!!

[scot]

nop. guys always think about sex more than gals do. just carry out a survey and find out for urself and tell me what u find out later.