S Africa: Male rape survivors excluded from 16 Days of Activism

Article here. Excerpt:

'Friday marks the start of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children but male rape and sexual abuse support groups have spoken out that the campaign is not inclusive of male victims of abuse.

There are many stigmas surrounding sexual crimes against men. This is according to Oliver Meth who is part of a support group called the Rape Survivors Network.

He was brutally gang-raped by three men in a graveyard at the age of 16. Meth is unhappy with the campaign as he believes it further fuels the stigmatisation of male rape survivors by excluding them.

“It stigmatises men to say that men will always be seen as the perpetrator and not seen as the victims of sexual violence or violence. That’s why the 16 days of activism campaign needs to drop gendered language, suggesting that only women and children are victims of sexual violence and abuse; we need to make this campaign much more inclusive so that we can include men.”'