By Tian Johnson

When nearly 600 commuters took to the streets of the Johannesburg CBD on 29 February 2008 in solidarity with Nwabisa Ngcukana, mainstream media blasted it as a mini skirt parade and glorified strip show. The event once again underscored the need for educated journalistic insight.

Out of the nearly two dozen editorials, news items and opinion pieces that were published after the event, only one publication grasped the bigger picture – that of women gathering, not only to bring attention to the mini skirt issue, but using a civil society protest to vent years of suppressed anger, frustration, humiliation and degradation suffered at the hands of like-minded partners, husbands, boyfriends and men.

Women daily commute in transport emblazoned with stickers that constantly affirm them as second class sex objects not worthy of respect or dignity, transport driven by men who have been socialized to believe that women should be seen as minors and the twisted assumption that wearing a mini skirt and high heels equals a prostitute.

What does it say about a culture like that of the Zulu nation when intombi (virgins) can go about their day topless with no provocation but in the inner city a mini skirt creates furor and “uncontrollable urges” in men? What does it say about us as a people when a man makes the decision to rape a young girl, his daughter’s age, with his fingers in a taxi rank? What level of consciousness do the security guards possess when they stand by, amused and watch this violation take place? What about the very women at the rank that Sunday who passed by saying “what did she expect wearing that thing?’

When the men who looked on did nothing to stop this violation, they paved the way for their mothers, sisters, granddaughters and aunts to be brutally raped and assaulted, perpetrators taking comfort from the fact that no action will be taken.

When a thief at the same taxi rank snatches a purse, he is brought within an inch of death by a maddened crowd. Why then is the violation of a woman looked at in this nonchalance manner?

I take this opportunity to ask you – mothers, fathers, uncles and aunts – how far have we as a society come when we look on and walk away? As wild animals defend their own, we allow predators to come in and take what they want, strip away dignity and integrity of a human being.

When the media covered the protest, they predominantly focused on the attire of the protesters wearing mini skirts as unacceptable. This simply reinforces the idea that societal values often oppress individual values. When they called this an undignified march, were they thinking of the dignity of Nwabisa? This is the same media that did not question the taxi drivers who stripped and flashed their genitals to the crowd. An inconvenient truth perhaps?

As we meet with local government and other stakeholders, we want action in response to the following demands:

1. The perpetrator must be prosecuted through the justice system;
2. CCTV cameras at Noord Street must be repaired and maintained on a regular basis,
3. Taxi associations must engage with us and other women’s organisations about the event and the implementation of a gender programme for all drivers.

Should these demands not be met within a reasonable period of time, we will advocate and mobilise women and men who support women to bring the taxi rank to a close.

Scelo Mabaso, the head of the Top Six Taxi Association, has said that this incident is a storm in a teacup, asking why there has never been a reaction like this when people have lost their lives at the rank. Scelo, we say to you that now that action is taking place we will give it our full support to send out a message that violence against women, anywhere, will not be tolerated.

We know from experience that gender equality cannot be achieved by rights alone.

"In South Africa we have focused perhaps too much on rights and not on values. We say we have to treat women equally because it is their legal right. But we should be teaching young boys and men that women have equal dignity, and are thus worthy of equal treatment; legal rights can be changed and violated. This is a discourse that we need to promote in South Africa, and internationally." – Jody Kollapen, Chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission speaking at the launch of the International Women’s Day in Johannesburg.

Tian Johnson is the Foundation Manager of the Open Disclosure Foundation, South Africa’s first long-term treatment centre for survivors of sexual violence.