For the Culture — 16 Days of Activism
I have to agree with the Grammy winning rapper Cardi B — or at least the birthday version of her single Money — there’s nothing I like more in this world than Culture (with a ‘C’). Encompassing culinary delights, traditions, beliefs, social practices and even fashion choices, our cultures are some of the most radiant and insightful parts of ourselves. They can give us a sense of identity, a community and are often an excuse for a good party. Yet ‘culture’ and the attitudes and practices that come with it, can also be destructive. In recent years the term ‘rape culture’ has been used to define a social environment in which sexual violence is pervasive and normalised. Victim blaming, presenting sexually inappropriate remarks as banter, slut-shaming, revenge porn, failing to take rape allegations seriously, grooming, and sexual objectification, are all aspects of rape culture. They are things we see and experience daily but, disconcertingly, have been conditioned to simply respond with the mantra ‘well — that’s life’ because we’ve been socialised to accept them as normal. But sexual violence isn’t normal. A core symptom of patriarchy, rape culture is a rampant, global phenomenon that is influenced by social beliefs around sexuality and gender. For even the most ardent advocate, changing social attitudes can feel like a monumental, even impossible task . However culture, like life, is dynamic, meaning it can change. Think about it. If jollof rice can evolve from being a rice and tomato dish to having plantain, green peas and even shrimp thrown into the mix, then our cultures and societies can evolve to a state where sexual violence is never the norm, and one day ceases to exist.
As part of the UN’s 16 Days of Activism, over the next two weeks (and two days) Team TuWezeshe will be spotlighting attitudes and beliefs which support rape culture, and provide tips on how we can change our thinking so that in small, but meaningful ways, we can bring an end to sexual violence. It’s often small acts of resistance that lead to monumental transformations, so join us as we campaign for an end to rape culture.
Generation Equality Stands Against Rape. #SistersAct
Words by,
Justina Kehinde
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FORWARD (Foundation for Women’s Health Research and Development) is the UK’s leading African women-led organisation working to end violence against women and girls.
The TuWezeshe Akina Dada Africa-UK Young Women’s Leadership movement (also known as the TuWezeshe Fellowship) is a feminist leadership programme which seeks to inspire and equip a generation of young African women to be leaders and activists against sexual violence. Funded by the Comic Relief Common Ground Initiative, since 2016 it has been implemented in England, Tanzania, Uganda, Wales and Somaliland. It is led by FORWARD and several consortium partners: Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA) in Uganda, Sub-Sahara Advisory Panel (SSAP) in Wales and Scotland, and Children’s Dignity Forum (CDF) in Tanzania. Find more about the fellowship here.
