THE BEKEZELA BRIGADE

In 2020 and with the exorbitant rate of femicide in South Africa, isn’t it time to challenge a phrase like ‘Mosadi o tshwara thipa ka bohaleng’ (a woman holds a knife by its sharp end)? This implies that the strength of a woman is to endure any form of emotional and physical abuse. But, did you know that a woman is murdered every three hours, according to a 2018 Crime Against Women in South Africa Report? And this, according to the World Health Organisation, is more than five times higher than the global average. Whether we blame this on social constructs or patriarchy,