The National Crime Statistics Report for 2018/2019 painted a harrowing and bleak picture of the state of our fight against gender-based violence in South Africa. Women in communities across our country are now faced with worrying questions on a daily basis: am I safe if I choose to go out dancing? Am I safe if I am the only person in a taxi? Am I safe if I have to pick up a parcel at the post office? Unfortunately, we’ve often found that many of our women, daughters and children are not safe in such situations, and it has left us all lingering in a state of fear of despair.
But, this need not be the case. Because as South Africans, we stand strong when we stand together. Just recently, over 20 000 people gathered at Parliament against gender-based violence, and it has sparked civil society movements and action across our entire nation. Yes, our police force may be under-resourced. Yes, our national government is failing us. Yes, the crime statistics are heartbreaking. But that does not mean we can’t fight back. And it does not mean that we can’t stand together when facing these issues.
“Changes are made through the actions of many collective individuals.” – Nicole Mirkin, Founder of Fight Back SA
One of the first things you can do, is get involved. We need to take extreme action and we need to take it fast. I would like to encourage all individuals to take action where and however they can. Changes are made through the actions of many collective individuals. So please choose to be that individual in your home, workplace and in your community. If you can mobilise your home, do so. If you can volunteer at a women’s shelter, do so. If you can approach a local self-defence school, and facilitate a free self-defence workshop for the most vulnerable members of your community, do so. Most martial arts schools would be more than willing to get involved in such an initiative.
But, with a staggering 113 rapes reported a day, we must also bring the fight to our own lives and ensure that our individual selves are safe from harm too. Fight Back SA has the following guiding principles which we teach all the women in our free self-defence workshops:
- Never fight for your phone or purse
If an attacker is asking for your valuables, give them up – they are demanding a specific transaction, and are likely to leave the second you oblige. If you choose to fight in this instance, you will more than likely aggravate the attacker and they may then choose to harm you to fulfil the transaction. - You need to fight back when you are fighting for your life
If someone grabs you, pulls you aside or is trying to take you away, that is when you fight – BUT, always remember to surprise your attacker – play it meek and act scared, so their guard is down, don’t fight hard at first – this may even result in them loosening their grip on you, that is if they think they are already in control and that you have submitted out of fear. - Focus for at least a second or two before you fight back
Because if they are trying to pull you or take you away, there will be an opportune moment to surprise the attacker with a moment in which you fight back, and fight hard (be it when they have to open a car door, or look up to see if anyone has seen them take you, there is always an opportune moment to strike). - Never let your attacker know you haven’t submitted till this opportune moment arises.
These are essential guiding principles to help in a moment of extreme trauma and panic – and it is an indictment on our national government that there is a need for us to disseminate this kind of information to ensure our women have a fighting chance against gender-based violence in our state.
“There are more good people than bad in South Africa, and together, there is nothing we can’t achieve.” – Nicole Mirkin, Founder of Fight Back SA
But the good news is that this information is available, and we can work together to start lowering these awful statistics. At the end of the day, we must remember that there are more good people than bad in South Africa, and together, there is nothing we can’t achieve. So here’s to fighting back, and being equipped with the tools that we need as individuals, as communities and as a nation, to fight back hard.