#NotInMyName: South African Men Hold A Protest To Stop Violence Against Women

Violence against women in South Africa has reached epidemic proportions and the men have decided that enough is enough. A protest organized by Kholofelo Masha and Obakeng Motshabi held on May 20 was a call to action demanding that men hold each other accountable for the rapes and beatings of their women.

The demonstration included a march through the streets of Pretoria where over 500 participants carried signs and banners while chanting #NotInMyName. Organizers hope to reestablish trust between African men and women in one of the world's hotbeds for gender-based violence. 

"We men are taking a stand today. Women must know that they can count on us taking a stand today. Women must know that they can count on us," Masha said.

This action is very much needed. Violence against women and girls is running more rampantly in recent years. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says this about gender-based violence: 

"Violence against women and girls is one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world. It knows no social, economic, or national boundaries. Worldwide, an estimated one in three women will experience physical or sexual abuse in her lifetime," the website says.

While many women have been abducted, beaten, raped, and stabbed to death, there are some who were able to escape. Protester and survivor Bukelwa Moerane was taken by a group of men back in February, but she managed to jump out of a moving car. Even then, she was still very much on her own.

"When I was running for my life, I tried to get help from people in cars and no one stopped for me'" Moerane said. She pleaded with men to stand up for women and protect them when they are alone or appear to be in trouble.

Not all of these attacks are committed by strangers. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in 2010 that a whopping 36.6 percent of women in the African region were assaulted by someone they knew. Protesters vowed to remember the names of several women who had already been stabbed to death so far this year.

Going forward, men have committed to taking charge of their communities, talking to men and boys about their attitudes towards women, preventing violence towards women, and working harder to protect them. These are changes that cannot happen soon enough.