South Africa: #AmINext, a hashtag against violence against women - RFI

By Claire BargelèsPosted on 16-09-2019Modified the 16-09-2019 at 12:56

In South Africa, where women are mobilizing against violence, on the street, and on social networks. Some 3,000 women are murdered each year and one in five women have been victims of violence by their partners. South Africa has some of the most disturbing statistics in the world. A reality unfortunately become almost banal, as it is daily.

from our correspondent in Cape Town,

On August 24, Uyinene Mrwetyana, a 19-year-old student, enters a post office in Cape Town to pick up a package. She will not come out alive, and her executioner is now heard by the courts for rape and murder. " So, every weekend, are we going to bury a woman or a man who died from the hands of a man? My heart is heavy, "reacts a surfer.

So every weekend we will be burying a woman or child who died at the hands of a man My heart is heavy. #RipUyinene #RipNatasha #GBV #AmINext

A week later, 25-year-old professional boxer Leighandre Jegels dies in the streets of Johannesburg under the bullets of her former boyfriend.

Two deaths among dozens of others in recent weeks, which caused a wave of emotion and indignation across the country. On Twitter and Facebook, the #AmINext hashtag, "Am I next? ", Brings together South Africans shocked by the violence against women they call a true" epidemic ". Under this keyword, there are many testimonials, like #MeToo, reports of disturbing disappearances and demonstrations calls.

A multiplication of petitions online

Because this wave of outrage, born on social networks, quickly materialized in the streets , in Cape Town, at the World Economic Forum for Africa and in Parliament earlier this month, where hundreds of activists wanted to be heard by the country's decision-makers. Then last week, in front of the headquarters of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, where the protesters asked the big companies to contribute to the fight against the violence against women, by means of a tax to finance programs.

South Africans are in the street, in the business district of #Johannesbourg, to denounce violence against women. 3000 # femicides per year, one woman killed by her mate every 8 hours #EnoughIsEnough #AmINextPROTEST #SandtonShutdown #SouthAfrica pic.twitter.com/xntwnirqaQ

Steps had already been organized last year, at the same time, but without concrete results. This time, the movement has also witnessed a proliferation of online petitions, calling for more radical actions by the South African government, criticized for its lack of action in recent years. establishment of a state of emergency in the country, so that the subject becomes a priority of the government. Nearly half a million people have signed this proposal, which is inspired by a measure taken to combat the proliferation of rapes.

Restoration of the death penalty

A second online petition goes even further: it calls for the reinstatement of the death penalty, abolished at the end of apartheid, for perpetrators of crimes against women and children, and has already collected about the same number of signatures. This request was rejected by the Ministry of Justice, and in any case not in accordance with the Constitution of the country.

Forced to react, the president Cyril Ramaphosa has multiplied the speeches. He has announced plans to amend the country's laws on these issues and plans to make public the register that lists the names of men convicted of such violence.

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