#SAShutDown & #AmINext

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#SAShutDown & #AmINext

A qualitative case study of the 2019 female led gender based violence

social media hashtag movement and its impact on government policies

in South Africa.

Sara Morshedi

Communication for Development One-year master

15 Credits Fall 2020

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Abstract

The South African President _{Cyril Ramaphosa said it best “a war is being waged against women}

and children in South Africa._{” (Timeslive, 2019a). After the horrific murder of 19 year old Cape}

Town student Uyinene Mrwetyana in August 2019 a hashtag revolution was born. Women all over South Africa took to social media and used the hashtags #SAShutdown and #AmINext to make the government understand the severity of the gender based violence crisis in the country. The aim of this research is to analyze whether the 2019 hashtag movement had any impact on governmental policies. Qualitative interviews focused on the movement have been performed with five female South African social media influencers, a textual content analysis has likewise been presented based on the influencer’s interview answers. The thesis further explores the history of social media movements, victim blaming in feminism as well as the impact apartheid has had on anti-rape politics. In conclusion an analysis has been presented discussing future scenarios as well as the extensive impact the _{Covid-19 pandemic has had on the research.}

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Acknowledgments

I would like to dedicate this research to every South African woman out there that has ever lived in fear. Every woman that has been harassed and put to shame for speaking out. You are brave, and the women of this country thank you. Even though South Africa can at times be a

challenging country to live in, we are stronger together and I am proud to live in a country where women are dedicated to building a safer and stronger future for coming generations and their loved ones.

In addition, a special thank you to my husband for supporting me throughout this period. I am grateful for his love. I would also like to thank my parents for encouraging me to always believe in myself and making me understand the importance of my masters degree. They are my

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1. Introduction

In the early afternoon of August 24th 2019 19 year old student Uyinene Mrwetyana entered the Clareinch Post Office in Cape Town to pick up a parcel. A man working behind the counter explained to Mrwetyana that credit-card payments weren’t a possibility at the moment because of a power outage in the area. Electrical blackouts are a commonality in South Africa. The man urged Mrwetyana to revisit the post office later to complete her errand. She returned after 2 p.m. on the same day and promptly learned that most of the staff had retired home for the day (iol, 2019). The man working behind the counter later confessed in court that he locked the door behind Mrwetyana as she entered the second time. He also revealed that he raped her and beat her with a post office scale as she screamed and showed resistance. Following the brutal attack he positioned her lifeless body in the trunk of his vehicle which he later set on fire and left in the township of Khayelitsha close to where he lived (Timeslive, 2019b).

On the 15th of November 2019 Luyanda Botha was charged with the murder and rape of

Mrwetyana. He was sentenced to three life sentences and will be eligible for parole after serving 25 years of that sentence (Timeslive, 2019b). Below are some extracts from Botha’s admittance in court:

"_{I unlocked the front door and the deceased entered. When she entered the post office, we were}

alone in a locked post office_.”

"_{When the deceased searched her bag to pay the requisite customs fees, I started making sexual}

advances towards her._”

"_{I dragged the deceased to the safe inside the post office. I locked her up inside the safe. The}

deceased screamed while inside the safe._”

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"_{I took a 2kg weight, used to weigh the packages received at the post office, and used it to}

bludgeon the deceased to death. I targeted her head_.”

(Timeslive, 2019b).

The murder of Uyinene Mrwetyana almost immediatly received a great deal of media and social media attention. Thousands used social media platforms Instagram and Twitter to mourn her life. Her funeral was televised attracting even further media coverage as well as influencing

additional citizens to take a stand via social media (News24, 2019). After the funeral of Mrwetyana many South African women decided to take a stand by organising nationwide protests in the hopes of achieving change and gaining the government’s attention. On September 5th 2019 thousands marched on to the South African parliament in Cape Town demanding a response from the leaders of the country. _{Women were insisting that the President, Cyril} Ramaphosa, declare a state emergency. A small group of women even put together a list of demands which was handed over to the President. Ramaphosa gave a speech that same day agreeing that enough was enough _{(Dailymaverick, 2019).}

“_{This is a very dark period for us as a country. The assaults, rapes and murders of South African}

women are a stain on our national conscience. We have just commemorated Women’s Month. Sixty three years after the women of 1956 marched for the right to live in freedom, women in this country live in fear - not of the apartheid police but of their brothers, sons, fathers and uncles. We should all hang our heads in shame_{” (Gov.za, 2019a).}

On the website of the South African government it is stated that Ramaphosa has signed the Declaration on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. He urged implementation of the formations to take place as soon as possible (Gov.za, 2019a).

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What is the impact of the 2019 female led social media hashtag movement following the rape of Uyinene Mrwetyana on government policies relating to sexual violence and gender-based violence in South Africa?

2. Background

2.1 The beginning, #SAShutDown & #AmINext

“_{When I see a post office shivers go down my spine”} South African Influencer active during the #AmINext and #SAShutDown movement in 2019

Shortly after Women’s month had been celebrated in South Africa the murder of Uyinene Mrwetyana fuled a digital revolution. Within days after the news of her murder was made public thousands of women shared the hashtags #AmINext and #SAShutDown on Twitter, which likewise was spread to the social media platform Instagram (Sunday Times, 2019).

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Tweets trending under the hashtags #AmINext and #SAShutDown

The hashtag #SAShutDown was established by South African actor and public figure Siv Ngesi on Twitter. He tweeted a video of a group of gender activists being released from a police station in Cape Town and captioned it “_{Finally released at 1am! 10am we march again to Parliament} #SAshutdown”. He urged South Africans everywhere to call for a nationwide shutdown in order to bring gender based violence to the government's attention. Ngesi later took to the social media platform Instagram and expressed that even though South Africans are able to quickly recover from a difficult situation, “_{we can't get used to it. Every single one of us should march. We}

should all be disgusted and ashamed. We shut this country down or do you wait until one of your family members gets brutally raped or murdered?_{” (Sunday Times, 2019).}

Tweets trending under the hashtags #AmINext and #SAShutDown

The #AmINext hashtag was shared by tv-presenter Anele Mdoda who shared an anti rape advertisment from 1999 featuring South African actress Charlize Theron. In the video Theron condems the rape situation in South Africa which was unacceptable even 20 years ago

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(All4women, 2019). Theron says "_{People often ask me what the men are like in South Africa"} before describing the country's rape statistics. "_{Well, if you consider the fact that more women}

are raped in SA than any other country in the world, that one out of three women will be raped in their lifetime in SA, that every 26 seconds a woman is raped in SA, and perhaps worst of all, that the rest of the men in SA seem to think that rape isn't their problem. It's not that easy to say what the men in South Africa are like because there seem to be so few of them out there,_"

(Timeslive, 2019c). The purpose of the #AmINext hashtag was to make people understand that anyone could have been in Mrwetyana’s place. She was murdered in broad daylight while she was running a normal everyday errand. _{One woman on Twitter tweeted "Being a woman in}

South Africa is a death sentence _{#AmINext” another said “I'm so terrified. I'm scared. I'm} frightened. I'm fearful. I'm panicking. I'm a woman living in SA!!!_#AmINext.” (Memeburn, 2019).

The South African Police Service publishes regular reports and breakdowns of murder victims in South Africa, they are categorized into groups consisting of age and sex. In September 2019 data was released which presented that a total of 20 366 people were killed in the country between the years 2017 and 2018. Although the majority of the victims were men, the data shows that a woman is murdered in South Africa every three hours (SAPS, 2018, slide 14-24). Furthermore, Amnesty international data shows that 39,633 rapes and 6,253 sexual assaults were registered in South Africa in 2017 (Amnesty, 2019).

2. 2 The Jes Foord Foundation

“_{You have taken my body, but you will never take ME”} Jes Foord, founder of the Jes Foord Foundation

During my research I came across a few South African organisations that dedicate their time and effort into changing the lives of rape victims, one stood out to me in particular. Jes Foord a 30 year old South African woman, who started her own foundation named The Jes Foord

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Foundation (JFF) after she become the victim of a brutal gang rape in 2008. She was assaulted by four men on a Sunday evening in March while she and her father Tim walked to a small Dam in Durban. They were surrounded by a gathering of men who beat and tied Tim up before

constraining him to watch the severe assault of his daughter. The life of Jes changed forever after that night. Having endured such a traumatic experience, that unfortunately many women in South Africa suffer through daily, she made an active decision to rise from the ashes and change her life. Jes chose to stand up as opposed to hide away in shame. She decided to change her negative traumatic experience into a positive one by setting up The Jes Foord Foundation. "_I

shaped the Foundation to help reestablish lives after assault by method for various activities and exercises intended to change assault exploited people into assault survivors. I need to teach individuals and assist them with understanding that there is life after assault._{" says Jes.}

Currently Jes works full time at The Foundation. The JFF gives motivational talks to students and organisations, and dedicates their time to improve training about assault among men and women. The foundation depends on donations from organizations and private individuals. On the foundation's website it is stated that donations aren’t simply helping JFF to teach individuals about assault, but likewise assist with reforming the way assault victims are dealt with (Jff.org, n.d).

2. 3 Sonke Gender Justice

“_{Sonke’s vision is a world in which men, women and children can enjoy equitable,}

healthy and happy relationships that contribute to the development of just and democratic societies._”

(Genderjustice.org, 2019) During my research of gender equality organisations that are currently active in South Africa I came across Sonke Gender Justice, an organisation established in 2006. Sonke perceives the significance of connected and enabled activism that can help to increase government

responsibility. The organisational philosophy of Sonke has a lot to do with transformational work and their mission is to make the South African government understand the severity of gender based violence in the country. They have also shown their support in previous hashtag

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movements by joining protests and they regularly post about gender based violence on their Instagram account. Sonke likewise posted about President Ramaphosa’s speech that was given in Cape Town after Mrwetyana’s murder (Genderjustice.org, 2019).

Sonke’s main values:

1. Advance the privileges of ladies and young girls by improving their connection with empowerment.

2. Improve the lives of young men and help them to see the advantages of changing gender standards

3. Present the result of gender norms and injustice among men and women

4. Including both women and men to examine the ways in which we can transform gender connections

5. Acknowledge the differences among men, sexually, ethnically and class wise.

6. Approach structural and social deciding factors of gender based injustice, specifically income disproportion and the unjust distribution of labour.

Sonke also wishes to increase advocacy, activism and community mobilisation as well as networking locally and on an international scale. They strive to implement both individual skills building as well as community education. Capacities must be built through fresh communication strategies within the organisation and with the help of partners. Research is also highly

encouraged because it leads to the correct evaluation processes and monitoring (Genderjustice.org, 2019).

In my research I have found that Sonke uses advanced techniques and workshops in order to achieve their goals. They work on a professional level and they offer a wide range of information on their website about the aim of their projects. Sonke also receives donations for their work from powerful international organisations such as UNICEF, Sida and Save the Children. They have influential organisations backing them which results in them having the means to create and execute meaningful work in South Africa. In Sonke’s most recent annual report, available on

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their website, the co-executives Heather van Niekerk and Bafana Khumalo write about how Sonke has achieved a great deal of progress but that they are saddened that many other organisations have been forced to close down due to not receiving adequate funding. Van

Niekerk and Khumalo state that this is a loss for the entire community since gender work is very important and needs to flourish in South Africa in order for the country to achieve substantial change (Sonke, 2019).

In the annual Sonke report it is stated that when gender based violence demonstrations took place back in 2018 President Ramaphosa rose to the challenge and committed to a gender summit. The summit was one of the many demands which was handed over in a memorandum to him. It took place on the 1st of November 2018 and was attended by many large stakeholders in South Africa. The plan was to create a national path forward and respond to the femicide which has plagued the country. The summit resulted in the government, with social partners, committing to a declaration which Ramaphosa signed in March 2019. The Sonke annual report also states that during the time the report was being written a consultation process on the National Strategic Plan on Gender-based Violence and Femicide was being finalised for South Africa (Sonke, 2019).

3. Methodology

3.1 Research Method: QualitativeInterviews

One of the methods being used in this research is that of qualitative interviews, a practice of conversation where information is exchanged and produced by interacting with one or several people. The purpose of an interview is to receive knowledge that will benefit a researcher's analysis. When transcribing interviews it’s essential to adjust the interview material to one's final product (SAGE, 2008.p. 3-5). The reasoning behind choosing qualitative interviews is that the method provides value to the exploration. Interviews have the ability to give broader insight of the chosen subject. All interviews have been audio recorded and have taken place on direct phone calls or via skype, in addition extensive notes have been composed during these sessions. The recordings have been used to transcribe sections of the interview material which will be presented subsequently. I have also used the method of semi-structured interviews which enabled

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me to ask any follow up questions throughout the interviews if I saw fit. The interview questions were therefore more open-ended which allowed for a deeper discussion (Longhurst, 2003.p.103)

Five South African females with influencerbackground have agreed to partake in interviews performed by me. According to the Cambridge dictionary the official meaning of the word influencer is “_{a person or group that has the ability to influence the behaviour or opinions of}

others_{”. In this degree project an influencer refers to someone who influences people on social}

media. The Cambridge dictionary has defined a social media influencer as a “_{a person who is}

paid_{by a company to show and describe its products and services on social media, encouraging} other _{people to buy them” (Cambridge dictionary, n.d.). Another definition of an influencer}

would be “_{A social media influencer is first and foremost a content generator: one who has a}

status of expertise in a specific area, who has cultivated a sizable number of captive followers— who are of marketing value to brands—by regularly producing valuable content via social media._{” (Lou & Yuan, 2019.p.59). An influencer’s job is to regularly update their social media}

accounts in their chosen niche. They advertise persuasive content to the people who follow them and spread informational and entertaining messages that bring value. Their posts influence people to buy certain products while making the experience amusing through their personal touches (Lou & Yuan, 2019.p.60). In this particular context a social media influencer doesn’t promote products and rather tries to spread awareness about a cause on social media.

The social media influencers interviewed have been handpicked by me through the platform Instagram. I myself work as an influencer therefore I have a large network of influencer friends and acquaintances. I reached out to seven women in total, however three of the women were not available due to personal reasons which will not be disclosed. The females who agreed to interviews are all between the ages of 19-35.They are born in South Africa and have resided in the country their entire lives, hence they have an understanding of what it is like to live in South Africa as a woman. They grew up with South African culture and have been aware of gender based violence issues for decades.

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I likewise approached the gender based violence foundation the Jes Foord Foundation for an interview with founder and rape victim Jes Foord. Jes’s receptionist agreed to schedule an interview with her for me. Formulating questions for Jes was challenging since I didn’t wish to invade her personal space or privacy. It is difficult as a researcher to know that you might be in a situation where you would be obliged to ask questions that can bring up painful memories. Consequently it’s important to be prepared for challenging encounters. I prepared myself by reading chapters from Jo Healey’s book _{Trauma Reporting: A Journalist's Guide to Covering}

Sensitive Stories _{(2019). There are certain techniques that researchers can adopt when}

interviewing trauma victims, Healey’s book sheds light on a few of these which will be presented further down in this paper (Healey, 2019.p.35-53).

Various other strategies and methods were taken into consideration during the course of this degree project. A dialogue took place with my supervisor where we considered whether

performing interviews with a group of sexual assault victims would add value to the final project. In the end a decision was made by me to dismiss interviews with victims on the grounds that I do not wish to make victims feel distressed or exploited. Nonetheless the choice to interview Jes Foord was made based on the fact that she already is somewhat of a public figure who’s spoken out about her traumatic experiences on numerous occasions. Healey’s book became a great asset during the time of preparation for the interview. The author shares information on how one ought to act to not make any mistakes that can leave the interviewee's feeling traumatized to an even greater extent. She talks about calming techniques and suggests the interviewer is thoroughly prepared before taking on such a challenging task. Healey likewise emphasizes the significance of treating victims with the most regard while ensuring they feel at ease and safe. She also recommends follow-ups so the victims don't feel exploited during or after the interviews. Healey likewise states that staying in touch with the interviewees after the project should be deemed as a necessity (Healey, 2019.p.35-53). Despite the fact I made the decision to interview Jes, choosing to perform an interview with someone who’s been through something as traumatic as her can easily become complicated and have disastrous consequences if not handled properly. Thus there are limitations to choosing this kind of method which I have chosen to mention further down.

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3. 2 Research Method: Textual Analysis

In addition to completing qualitative interviews I have also made the decision to carry out a textual analysis by using the interviews in my research as a base. A textual analysis is

characterized as a strategy that breaks down the components, definitions and development of a particular text. The primary objective is to analyze and disclose how the creators of the text distribute their messages and how their writings are organized. All texts have a message and are made to have their own structure, they likewise have characteristics of a powerful sort. When a researcher uses a textual analysis a new system is presented, that brings about widened

comprehension of how texts are built and what real importance they give. Consequently

performing a textual analysis can result in a more superior conversation through the examination of text details and their so called subtitles. These literary investigations have the power to give the researcher a more profound comprehension of the content (SAGE, 2008.p.2-3).

As a researcher it is vital to make the appropriate textual analysis selection as there are many choices. After reflecting I have chosen to carry out a textual content analysis. This branch of textual analysis works optimally for my specific exploration as it is an analysis that centers around the very core of a text. A textual content analysis can be portrayed as typically being centered around depictions. The analysis includes deciphering content and it can likewise center around content approaches, their beliefs and their core themes. Through the analysis one can interpret the many techniques of the content and reflect upon how we can use interpretations to accomplish a systematic analysis of the texts. A content analysis is more of a subjective rather than objective method. The method doesn't include much measurable information (Drisko and Maschi, 2015.p.85-86). It is also used as a tool to determine the presence of specific terms, words or concepts in a piece of text. One can analyse the relationship between the words and concepts in order to discover the messages that are hidden within the text. The chosen text can be written, oral or even visual, this includes interviews and speeches as well (The wac, n.d.).

In order to execute a content analysis correctly one can follow these steps:

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2. Naming the relevant sections, such as words or phrases. However this can also include concepts, opinions, actions or other relevant categories. This is referred to as coding. It’s common to code repetitions, sections in the text that are surprising, things that the interviewee highlights as relevant, theories and concepts mentioned or perhaps underlying patterns.

3. Next the researcher must make a decision of what codes are most relevant to the research, this is the stage where the researcher can decide to drop certain codes. The researcher decides what is most relevant because they are the interpreter. One proceeds by creating relevant categories by bringing together several codes and presenting what codes

(categories) are being used.

4. The fourth step includes deciding what categories are connected to each other and naming them. The connections are the main core and results of the study. The

information uncovered at this stage is new because the researcher has interpreted it from the perspective of the participants in the interview.

5. At stage five decisions can be made about the results, for instance: is one category more important than another?

6. The final step is for the researcher to conclude the results by describing the categories and their connection. This step also includes discussing the results in the light of other research, such as similar results, previous research or scientific journals.

(Löfgren, 2013).

The main difference between executing a regular coding process of qualitative interviews and performing a textual content analysis is that a content analysis _{for the most part includes the} examination and translation of texts in a way that assists with deciding the degree of their spatial, transient as well as sequential event. _{A content analysis also uses a more descriptive nature. The} purpose of this type of analysis is to analyze what person says what in which context using what words. The approach is more descriptive in it’s interpretation and analysis of codes (Vaismoradi et al, 2013.p.400). Research using qualitative content analysis centers around the attributes of language as communication with focus to the content or relevant importance of the content.

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Content analysis moves past simply counting the number of words and categorising them in order to discover similar meanings. The main difference between a content analysis and a regular coding process is that a content analysis should be able to provide information and understanding of something beneath the words, it should discover themes and patterns. Although the process of coding is used during the performance of this type of analysis it is done on a significantly more elaborate level (_{Hsieh & Shannon, 2005.p.1278). There are many positive attributes to using a} content analysis. This method gives powerful understanding into a circumstance which isn't restricted by existing perspective; it allows a discovery of fresh theories. The method is also exceptionally compelling when other relevant models are inaccessible (Afwan et al, 2020.p. 1603).

3.3 Data collection

Approximately all social media data has been conveniently available on the app Instagram. I’ve used the hashtags #SAShutDown and #AmINext to find the relevant tweets and Instagram posts. I currently acquire both a Twitter and Instagram account therefore I didn’t have to set aside time to download the apps, create new accounts and familiarize myself with them. The main goal was to explore the tweets and posts available as well as to work with the content to achieve accurate results. It’s important to clarify that I didn’t use any apps or other digital methods to analyze my chosen hashtags. I simply went through the hashtags one by one on either a computer or my smartphone.

The literature that’s been introduced during the course of this project has been selected through web searches such as Google Scholar and the Malmö University online literature library. Both of these tools have been immensely important to gathering accurate information about my subject.

3.4 Limitations, shortcomings and other methods

During the research process other methods and theoretical strategies were considered. However no strategy would have added as much value to the research as the interview method. Interviews result in greater insight into a person’s life and their views. By making the decision to interview

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people who were active on social media during the time of the hashtag movement I gained a greater understanding of how these South African women think. Interviews likewise give the researcher the opportunity to gather data that is unique to its case study.

Other methods that were considered were that of statistical surveys where I could create a spreadsheet and ask the influencers identical questions about the movement and gender based violence. However choosing this method would have limited the data since I wouldn’t have been able to ask follow up questions or analyze how the women answered the questions, what tone they used, do they sound angry, sad, upset? These details add a great deal of value to the research as they provide greater insights into the thinking patterns of the women. A qualitative method is also a better option in my case because quantitative data would have limited me in my analysis. Quantitative facts have the capacity to add value to research, however I choose to incorporate secondary quantitative facts because they can provide the same amount of insight.

It is likewise important to mention that an interview method also can have its shortcomings. Analyzing someone's speech and interview answers can at times create confusion since the data is analyzed subjectively. In quantitative data facts are objective however interviews can be analyzed in different ways and each researcher needs to apply their personal interpretation to the data. This means that personal reflections carry great weight since the research analyzes all the interview answers given by the subjects. In consequence it is of importance to know how to analyze interviews in the best and most fair way possible (SAGE, 2008.p. 4-5). Another aspect to keep in mind is that interviewing a victim like Jes Foord means interviewing someone who’s endured a deeply traumatic experience. Trauma changes an interview instantly and makes the researcher's job more difficult. It is not unusual that interview subjects who have been sexually assaulted feel vulnerable during interviews, feelings of exploitation might also

arise. Thus it is vital to be skilled in how to interview trauma victims specifically. In the case of Foord I provided the interview questions beforehand so that she could familiarize herself with them. I also didn’t prepare to ask any questions directly about her assault, as I don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable or exploited. It is not uncommon for researchers to face

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unwillingness from interview subjects to answer specific questions because they bring up painful memories and emotions. Certain questions or statements can awaken fear and make the subjects feel like they might be revealing too much too fast. Consequently it is important to note that if Foord is vague in her answers this can impact the reliability of this research. In order to minimize the chances of this happening I will, like stated above, provide her with the questions beforehand and aim to not ask any inappropriate follow up questions (SAGE, 2008.p. 5).

4. Theoretical framework

This next segment centers around past theories relevant to my research question. The below accumulation of theories will provide further understanding into my subject and set up a firmer foundation for my study. The first section, called the evolution of social movements, brings understanding of the history of activism and how it has changed in the last decade, it also presents relevant examples. Feminists and victim blaming gives us a larger comprehension of how common victim blaming is among feminist and feminist literature. The last section:

anti-rape politics and apartheid is a section of great theoretical importance because it provides a glimpse into South African history and the impact apartheid might have had on the rape

disocurse in the country.

4.1 The evolution of social movements

“_{The #BlackLivesMatter campaign maintains a website, where it stresses that the campaign is}

"[n]ot a moment, but a movement." This powerful message has transformed national conversations on race and society. The members effectively demonstrate how effective advocacy can spark comprehensive social dialogs and challenge the status quo in the twenty-first century._”

(_{Steinberg, 2016.p.436)}

The German sociologist Lorenz von Stein used the phrase "_{social movement" for the first time in} 1850. It was published in his book named _{The history of the French Social Movement from 1789} to Present_{. Social movements have various definitions, however most scholars agree that social}

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movements mean that a group of people come together through action and try to change the status quo. The individuals who take part in these movements might be very different people however they come together in the hopes of achieving change on one particular issue. The members also abide by specific group norms which demonstrate the loyalty they have for each other and their cause. The members stay connected by staying active which makes their bond even stronger. Another sociologist by the name of Charles Tilly stated that people who partake in a social movement either share a common enemy or support the same cause. Tilly likewise emphasized that social movements feel a necessity for a public display of loyalty to the cause. Members are encouraged to present their devotion publicly (Steinberg, 2016.p.420-421).

Historically, social movements have varied time wise and they have always been organized liberally which means their so called leaders haven’t had any authority over its members. Today’s introduction of social media has challenged traditional social movement protocols and made room for new ways to flourish. It has revolutionized the way members stay active by presenting shares, likes and ways to donate via online platforms. Traditionally, being a part of a social movement entailed hard work and dedication. Weekly meetings were planned in advance and protests that could lead to violence and arrest were encouraged and sometimes even

required. People were willing to put their safety on the line and risk their lives in order to achieve change. Today it has become easier than ever to join a cause, you can become part of a social movement by simply retweeting a post. The requirements for participation have changed rapidly, opening up social movements to even more people (Steinberg, 2016.p.422).

Social movement and activism has grown even further the last couple of years by activism becoming more common on social media. There are several types of activism in today’s world:

1. Requesting answers for contemporary issues through the taking of oppositional positions to standard arrangements. These incorporate momentary activities like strikes, fights and exhibitions

2. Undertaking activism which shows itself through the formation of options in contrast to the predominant framework through the development of better approaches for social

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conduct. This sort of activism looks to make new options inside social orders. We can discuss social focuses, cooperatives of laborers and so on

3. Revolutionary activism that is worried about basic difference in the public eye and its major institutions

(Permanentculturenow, (n.d.).

Throughout the last decade there have been several instances where social activism has become social media activism. One such example is the Arab Spring which encouraged a political shift in Tunisia back in 2011. During this time a survey was performed asking Tunisians on their social media usages. A surprising 94.29% admitted that they stayed informed on the political situation in the country by using social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs. Internet technology has opened up a new world for most and fueled revolutions on its own by providing and sharing liberating information with the rest of the world. Another example of when social media has had great influence was back in 2014 when the terrorist group Boco Haram kidnapped a large number of girls in Nigeria. Thousands turned to social media to express their concerns and the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls went viral, it was also used by respected political figures such as Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. The hashtag united people and made them a part of what we traditionally call a social movement. In the same year the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter took the internet by storm. The hashtag grew immensely when a teenage unarmed african american boy was shot by a police officer in the summer of 2014. The aim of the hashtag was to bring people together and increase awareness of the fact that police brutality against unarmed african americans is a very large issue in America. The movement resulted in a spotlight being cast on police officers and the campaign also extended so far as to fueling 950 demonstrations worldwide (Steinberg, 2016.p.434-435).

4.2 Feminists and victim blaming

Mardorossian (2002) argued a little over 20 years ago that sexual violence and rape have become one of the most taboo subjects of feminist theory. She states that it has predominantly been neglected in preference of sexual harassment and pornography discussions. Not much

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information was found on rape in feminist journals that were published in the 90s and early 2000s, which is surprising since postmodern feminists are a group that have dedicated time and effort to organising women’s experiences. Mardorossian argues that unfortunately they haven’t dedicated much time towards analyzing antirape politics. They continuously address rape in the same way, through using terms of victim-blaming. Conservative writers such as Katie Roiphe, Camille Paglia and Christina Sommers all published books in the 90s which have set tone for future discussion on rape in the public. Mardorossian doesn’t agree with their conclusions on rape and states that even though they are best selling authors they severely downplay how common rape has become in America. The authors also disregard rape statistics that have been published in previous antirape texts and feminist surverys solely because they don’t agree with women being depicted as victims. Mardorossian is appalled by how the authors depict rape victims, they state that victims don’t owe their victimization to rape but to individuals who have brainwashed them through feminist propaganda which has made them view themselves as victims. Another example of victim blaming is the book The Morning After (1993) which criticises feminists who strive in eradicating sexual violence and rape. Mardorossian sees a considerbale problem with these best selling books because they not only disregard rape taking place but also lay the responsibility of the rape upon the victim. The books educate the public to believe that women are expected to not get themselves raped and that if they do they should blame themselves. Mardorossian also takes note of that the environment and the circumstance of the rape are taken into consideration and fuel the victim blaming further. Teenage girls who have been drinking and were passed out during the rape or prostitutes that were raped on the job are shamed and often receive a “what did you expect” kind of reaction (Mardorossian, 2002 .p. 743-754).

4.3 Anti-rape politics and apartheid

“_{The truth is that the majority of rapists in South Africa are black only because the}

majority of the South African population is black_”

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South Africa is a country that was introduced to freedom at a very late stage compared to other countries such as the U.S and England. Apartheid ended in 1994, which is a mere 26 years ago, therefore it would be rational to come to the conclusion that apartheid has had an immense impact not only on the countries history but also on people’s everyday lives. Helen Moffett a scholar from Cape Town wrote a journal article on how apartheid has contributed to the countries high rape rates back in 2006. Moffett states that although South Africa went through it’s transformation into a democracy in 1994 the country didn’t exactly transition into becoming a utopia. Moffett argues that the gender based violence that’s taking place in South Africa today is “_{fuelled by justificatory narratives rooted in apartheid discourses”. During apartheid the} dominant group of white South Africans used various methods to control black people. Black South Africans were publicly as well as privately reminded of their inferior status and powerless positions. According to Moffett a shift has taken place where South African women have had to take over that inferior position. Women are reminded of their powerless weakened status through gender based sexual violence. Another problem that Moffett addresses is the fact that South Africa hasn’t always publicly acknowledged its gender based violence crisis. When Charlize Theron’s anti-rape campaign ran as a commerical on TV it became an outrage and after a few weeks the commercial was band by the advertising bureau because of consumer complaints. The main reason for the ban was the fact that the commercial was seen as offensive towards the men of South Africa. This is a classic example of how the country didn’t acknowledge the problem and also didn’t hold rapists accountable for their actions. In 1999 a Women in Post-War

Reconstruction conference held in Johannesburg shed further light on the flawed post apartheid government. Scholars and activists stated that during a war to peace transformation “_{the rhetoric}

of equality and rights tends to mask the reconstruction of patriarchal power_{”. Gender equality}

and anti rape campaigns have also been accused of racism in the past which is another way to shift focus away from rape. When South Africa celebrated 10 years of freedom President Mbeki verbally attacked a woman named Charlene Smith, a rape survivor and anti-rape campaigner, because he viewed her education on rape racist (Moffett, 2006.p.131-133).

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Apartheid has been used as an excuse on numerous occasions to justify rape taking place in South Africa says Moffett. She speaks about a former exiled writer named Sindiwe Magona who was absolutely shocked when she returned back to South Africa after 15 years. Moffett recalls that Magona had said “_{I’m sick of hearing apartheid used as an excuse! There can be no excuse,}

no justification for this behaviour!_{”. Magona was appalled after finding out that nurses at a local}

clinic had instructed mothers to give their daughters contraceptive injections because of the high likelihood of rape taking place in their teens. Moffett also states that the idea that only oppressed poor black men are rapists is false. During Moffett’s time working as a hotline counselor she discovered that many rapists were wealthy, white and successful. The problem with racism being included in anti-rape discussion is that it masks the real problem and also makes it extremely difficult to discuss a way forward (Moffett, 2006.p.134-135).

5. Results

5. 1 Gender Based Violence and Femicide National Strategic Plan

In 2019 from September 5th-13th stakeholder consultations took place in South Africa. The aim of this round was to add inputs to the Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) National Strategic Framework draft. The provinces included in the consultations were Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Northern Cape, Free State and North West (gov.za, 2019b). A month later in October after consultations were held nationwide the final National Strategic Plan was completed. According to the South African government's website the plan “_{provides a cohesive framework}

that will guide the national response to the GBVF crisis affecting South Africa._{”. It outlines an}

extensive ten year strategy which is a direct response to the gender based violence and femicide crisis in South Africa. It specifically caters to all women that have suffered through violence regardless of age, sexuality, location, disability as well as gender and national identity. The goal of the plan is to work nationally to decrease gender based violence directed at women and children during the coming ten years, assault against LGBTQ persons is likewise included in the plan (Gov.za, 2019b)

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1. Fortifying state and cultural duty, driven by intense authority and political responsibility; 2. Requesting improved responsibility across state and cultural foundations to drive a

motivation to end GBVF;

3. Making the reaction to GBVF an indispensable part of the national effort to battle poverty, layoffs and imbalance, and injustice

4. Developing society's comprehension of GBVF, building organizations and establishing the reactions in communities.

Throughout the implementation of the National Strategic Plan a national council will be selected and established. The role of the council is to provide guidance and strategic leadership towards eliminating gender based violence in the country. The Council will consider state and cultural organizations responsible for political responsibility and the resourcing of projects (Gov.za, 2019c).

In September 2019 after Mrwetyana was murdered Sonke Gender Justice published an article on

their website urging the government to implement “_{a fully funded multi-sectoral National}

Strategic Plan to combat gender-based violence_{”. Sonke stated that the government has failed to} follow through on their commitment to battle gender based violence. Sonke also mentioned that news about insufficient funds to implement the National Strategic Plan broke. The South African government had promised that centers would be fully funded and that rape kits would be

available for victims, this was also not the case. They continue the article by mourning

Mrwetyana’s death but also emphasized that her murder unfortunatly wasn’t suprising due to the high femicide rates in South Africa. Sonke urged the government to take proper action by

implementing the National Strategic Plan and allocating a budget in order for work to begin. Sonke is convinced that an implementation of a fully funded National Strategic Plan will ensure that gender based violence victims are taken care of and receive the help they deserve. Sonke

also stated that everyone should have the right to high quality psycho social support, bystander

programming, community mobilisation as well as early interventions and response. All of these services have been proven to effectively reduce violence in the community according to Sonke.

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The organisation also takes a nonviolent approach when it comes to the conviction of criminals. They are against the death penalty and chemical castration because they believe that these approaches violate the right to life. On their website Sonke has provided information proving that death penalty is both expensive and fails to discourage criminals from comitting their crimes (Genderjustice.org, 2019).

In 2020 further meetings were held in the fight against gender based violence and femicide. On January 9th the National Development Agency, Department of Social Development and the Interim Steering Committee on gender based violence requested proposals from Civil Society Organisations that implement programs to empower victims. The National Development Agency reported that until February 2020 around 600 applications had been sent. The plan was to process applications and to move forward by implementing recommended CSOs by March 2020. In the 2020 meetings it was also agreed upon that between March and April 2020 the Interim Steering Committee, the Department of Social Development, Community Policing Forum and Visible Policing Forum of the SAPS would take a look at police stations and visit their rooms to make sure they are victim friendly (NDA, 2020).

5. 2 _Covid-19

Since _{Covid-19 took the world by surprise at the end of 2019 it has inevitably impacted}

governmental operations worldwide. The spread of the virus in South Africa resulted in President Ramaphosa declaring a 21-day lockdown in South Africa which resulted in all work deemed non-essential shutting down during this period. The lockdown was originally planned to start at midnight the 26th of March until midnight 16th of April, however Ramaphosa announced an additional two weeks to be implemented until the 30th of April. Since the outbreak of the virus the South African government has had to recalculate their budget. _{Covid-19 has resulted in} increased unemployment rates which has forced South Africa to take active measures and assist their people with their financial troubles. This has resulted in the deprioritizing of other national projects. It is important to note that _{Covid-19 might not only have delayed gender based violence} programs but also put victims in a position where they don’t feel safe in their own homes and have limited places to turn. According to the National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSM)

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who specialises in representing shelters for abused victims one of the major concerns is that victims are in a position where they might be forced to stay indoors with their abuser. The NSM has stated that this no doubt increases violent situations and puts women and children at further risk (Ngopulse, 2020).

Dr Zubeda Dangor who is the head of the Executive of the NSM says that “_{An unfortunate}

consequence of the severe CoVid-19 measures being implemented from midnight on Thursday, is an anticipated increase of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) rates during this time. While the lockdown is a much-needed and proven intervention, it is important that the most vulnerable of our society are not left to fend for themselves._{”. Dangor also announced that during this difficult}

time shelters would be kept open so victims have a place to stay during the lockdown. However this might open the door for health complications, even though all workers at the shelters are provided with protective gear and required to follow lockdown rules, keeping victims in a shelter could potentially become a problem since the groups are large (Ngopulse, 2020).

Precious Robinson who is the chairperson of _{SACSoWACH which is a community of 33 NGOs} stated on Sunday 10th of May 2020 that "_{At SACSoWACH, we believe that a key area of focus is}

to ensure that the lockdown regulations are structured so that a woman can be able to reach out for help, leave her home to report abuse without the fear of a fine, intimidation and further violence._{We are also working to ensure that accessibility to services such as Thuthuzela care} centres, hospitals and clinics are not compromised, and that all services are Covid-19 safe_."

(News24, 2020).

President Ramaphosa addressed the nation live on the 13th of May 2020, he dedicated a small portion of his speech to gender based violence victims. Ramaphosa said that the men of South Africa have declared war on women during the lockdown period as gender based violence rates had increased rapidly. The national government's gender-based violence and femicide command centre which is available via phone to victims 24 hours a day recorded that the volume of calls had doubled during the first three weeks of the lockdown, 120 000 abused women and children

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had phoned the emergency call center. Ramaphosa stated in his speech that the government has "_{... developed an emergency pathway for survivors to ensure that victims of GBV are assisted.}

One of the interventions we have made is to ensure lockdown regulations are structured in a manner that a woman can leave her home to report abuse without fear of intimidation or further violence,_{". Although the president acknowledged gender based violence it was very briefly and}

he didn’t provide any detailed instructions on what the way forward is for victims (News24, 2020).

Unfortunately due to _{Covid-19 the interview with Jes Foord couldn’t be executed. I was in} contact with the Jes Foord Foundation and they had previously agreed to an interview on Jes’s behalf, however the foundation didn’t respond to follow up emails. I am not aware of if they are operational during the lockdown through perhaps a home office, however I assume they aren’t since they didn’t respond to emails. It is important to note that the missed chance of performing an interview with Jes has affected the research. It would have been beneficial to be able to interview not just a sexual assault victim but also a female leader of a gender based violence organisation. I believe that if I would have been able to perform the interview my conclusions might have differed and the study could have gone into a different direction. Due to this unforeseen cancelation the degree project has become largely dependent on the influencer interviews. This occurrence also influences my ability to answer my research question fully because the study has become more limited.

5. 3 Communication for Development

Communication for development (comdev) is a vast field which includes many fascinating components, the foundation is built on the thought that various types of communication are needed in order for societies to create sustainable democratic development. Comdev is an investigation of social change achieved by organization of communication analysis, theory and techniques. Development is defined as a participatory practice that is used in order to combat social change in communities. The changes are expected to achieve freedom, greater equality and sustainability for communities. Comdev is focused on societies coming together and using a

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form of communication that engages everyone and results in an equal form of sustainability (Servaes, 2007.p.14-15).

My subject is deeply linked to comdev, social media has its own unique dialogue and has become a revolutionary way of communicating. Social media platforms are today at the very heart of social activism and it is thus very rare that a movement doesn’t have a presence on social media. My belief is that social media activism has become the modern way of communicating in order to achieve sustainability and social change. Social media has enabled communities and nations to use a dialogue which can resonate with millions of people. Comdev sees the urgency and importance of including various communities and people in conversations about

sustainability. I believe that in order to achieve proper sustainable democratic development it is vital to recognize the impact that social media dialogue has and will continue to have. Social media has introduced us to a new more effective way of furthering communication for

development. These platforms enable us to reach out to more groups and include more people, using social media to communicate can also benefit those that suffer from social anxiety and aren’t comfortable taking part in large gatherings to discuss sustainability and development. It likewise gives people the option of sharing their thoughts anonymously which in turn gives individuals a voice. Through social media individuals have a chance to influence through the comfort of their homes, this comfortability can result in more active individuals that have more dedication towards making a change.

5. 4 Qualitative interviews

“_{Constant fear is a way of life for South African women”} South African Influencer active during the #AmINext and #SAShutDown movement in 2019

As stated previously in this paper I performed five interviews with five south african born women who currently work as influencers on social media. The influencers stayed active on social media during the hashtag movement as well as after. All of the women mentioned

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numerous times that they were disappointed in government officials for not taking greater action against femicide in the country.

#AmINext

One of the influencers stated during her interview that the #AmINext hashtag is very personal for South African women since it’s relatable. She said most women in South Africa live in constant fear of if they will return home when they leave their houses.

“_{AmINext is something that every woman in South Africa could relate to. It could have been}

anyone. The post office is meant to be a safe space for everyone, it’s not a place you associate with violence and having something like this happen by a government employee was scary”.

When asked about the #AmINext hashtag and the murder of Mrwetyana, three influencers responded in a very similar fashion. The word scared was used numerously to describe how they felt during this time.

“_{I’ve lived in South Africa my whole life and my mum always taught me to never go out alone as}

anything can happen at any minute. I’ve been scared my whole life, growing up my mum was always holding onto me. As a South African female you don't know anything else_{… It was such} an innocent thing going to the post office, so it was very scary for me to hear about what

happened. You always hear about these kinds of stories but this happened in daylight. It’s scary. When I see a post office shivers go down my spine._”

“_{Hearing about what happened I was quite scared and overwhelmed with anxiety and fear, there}

was no way to know if you were safe and if you would be safe. I was very anxious and scared. #AmINext is honest but also very scary to think that this is how we live now, when u see it it

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“_{My first thought was what is going on? Followed by fear and anxiety. I go to the post office,} that could have been me or my sibling or cousin. It felt crazy to even live in a time where this happens. Who goes to a post office and gets murdered? It was hard to process the whole

situation._”

“_{I felt the inclination to get involved and use the hashtags, not because I have a massive platform}

but I still have a platform. In my community people don’t talk about these things. It is very taboo that these things happen. I want to be the person in my community that speaks up about these things. I want to inspire others and empower others to take a stand, so many people are in their own bubble and I want to make people aware, it felt so wrong to post anything else during this time. Everyone was in a state of shock, it felt right to take action. Nothing was more important to post about during this time. I didn't feel pressured to post, I thought I have the ability to post this so I am going to. I don’t wanna be left out. I donated money as well but we unfortunately didn’t have any protests in my town._”

All of the influencers shared very similar opinions even though they were interviewed separately, they describe it as shocking and frightening when they found out that Mrwetyana’s murder hade taken place during broad daylight while she was running an everyday errand. One influencer explained that even though similar crimes happened frequently in South Africa Mrwetyana’s murder gained a greated deal of attention because women visit the post office by themselves often. Mrwetyana wasn’t out late at night alone, she wasn’t in a dangerous area, she was simply going to the post office during a normal weekday like hundreds of people do regularly.

It is made very clear during the course of the interviews that the influencers found the #AmINext hashtag scary. They believed that the hashtag represented what most South African women are feeling and fearing: Am I Next in line? Some of the influencers saw the value in using the hashtag since it spreads awareness. Others stated that they refused to be next and didn’t think that using the hashtag is the best idea since it makes one think negatively.

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#SAShutDown

When asked about the #SAShutDown hashtag one influencer said that she couldn’t take part in the shutdown because she was at her day job. She continued by stating that life carries on and that it wasn’t realistic for her to go march during a weekday since she couldn’t neglect her day to day responsibilities. I took note of the fact that the influencers that were self employed and didn’t have a side job had a more flexible schedule, they were able to stay at home during the SA shutdown. When you’re employed by someone else it makes it harder to take time off work for marches and other activities.

“_{SA needs a shutdown, I don’t know when the country will ever heal. I follow an account called}

myvoice and everyday they publish news about African women dying because of their boyfriends, half of these stories don’t even hit the news! How can so many people die at the hand of their boyfriends and SA does nothing about it? The government doesn't care, the government doesn't give a shit about the country, SA needs to shut down._”

“_{I started posting about the events that had taken place genuinely, once I saw people posting I}

felt like as someone with a following taking part could make the news go viral. It is important to make it go viral, it was a good idea to share as much as you can. The events did affect my content for three days, I didnt post anything else just out of respect. I even got in arguments with people saying you must only post about this and nothing else. As women we have a right to do what we want, I was in the middle of paid campaigns. That week was a horrible time, there were so many arguments between women. We should have stuck together. A lot of inner fighting was going on, I couldn’t just stop and not fulfil my campaigns you have to carry on with life and still be mindful. I tried to keep posting. I was helping organizers of the local march where I live in my area in Durban. Our main road was shut down and the police marched with everyone, so it was very peaceful._”

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“_{I didn’t take part in it, it wasn’t feasible. It is not possible for everyone. Our companies are}

backwards because corporations don't take social responsibilities._”

Two of the influencers mentioned that apartheid plays an important role in that people don’t recognize how they deserve to be treated, this is according to them leaving it’s mark everywhere around the country.

“_{It is unfortunate that a massive change hasn’t taken place. Things are the same. You still walk}

down the street looking over your shoulder. I make an effort to follow pages that post updates on things like this, that keep the movement alive. They post pictures of victims. Ever since then I have made an effort to keep up. I haven’t heard of any changes that have taken place though. No difference where women would feel more empowered. Our government is flawed. Men don’t take women seriously enough, women are more stronger and use their voices but they are not being heard in the way that they deserve. I personally see it in my line of work that women are not taken as seriously and are seen as less capable then the men. Because of apartheid people don’t know how to be treated._“

“_{To be honest when I listened to the speech of the president I didn’t believe what he was saying,}

we live in a country where our government doesn’t do anything. He’s lying. It all goes back to apartheid, all the problems come from there. Everyone is so stuck in the past and unfortunately they’re not doing anything. There’s so much hatred. They can’t move forward. I can’t see SA

ever getting better, it’s a beautiful country but it’s always been the same._”

Changes to the justice system

The last two interview subjects were asked about how they would change the justice system if they were given the chance. What penalties would they enforce and how should criminals be dealt with?

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“_{Ramaphosa said initially he was going to make sentences longer and that criminals have to}

serve longer sentences but it hasn't been reinforced. Every time there's a new case people talk again but there are no changes that have made me feel safe. There was a master student who raped a woman and he was released after two years instead of seven, he came out earlier because there was no evidence even though there were witnesses, she wasn’t taken seriously because she had been drinking_”

“_{Anyone that's being accused and convicted should be registered in a system. An accused and}

convicted list should thereafter be known to the public. More severe scentences that are harsher and we need more rape crisis centeres. We also need to teach women self defense. In schools we should have courses for life orientation to teach everyone and bring awareness to consent and violence especially with the men. Even primary school. More severe consequences and people should be taught how to manage their anger._”

“_{Death is an easy way out, chemical castration should be enforced for rape. Gender based}

violence against kids deserves longer jail time and heavier restrictions. When you get raped it’s something that you have to live with for the rest of your life so rapists should be put in solitary confinement the first 12 years of their life and also endure torture. People need to be put in jail and think about what they have done. People need to really reflect and think about their actions. If there is no remorse from the criminals and they've been through a psycho analysis they should die. Death penalty should be put in place in certain cases, like murder.”

Both influencers wished to implement substantial changes however one of them was more focused on education from a young age. She explained how important it is to educate children and teens about consent so that they are more aware of their actions and the choices that they make in the future. She didn’t have any examples of what kind of punishments should be carried out however she emphasized the importance of rape crisis centers and self defense being

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would establish if given the chance. She mentioned life sentences, chemical castration and in certain cases the death penalty.

What changes have been made?

One of the most essential questions asked in the interview was whether the women think that the government has intervened enough and taken appropriate measures in order to achieve lasting changes in South Africa. The women are very aware that femicide is at an all time high but they don’t see much change being implemented. After close examination of the interviews it is quite clear that the women are feeling impatient, desperate and upset. They want change and believe it to be unacceptable that criminals are getting away with murder and rape. The influencers believe that the justice system is failing women and that the president isn’t keeping his word by not implementing the promises he made during his speech in Cape Town. One of the influencers situated in Cape Town took part in the march and shared her experience with me during the course of the interview.

“_{It felt like we were all coming together, different backgrounds, different nationalities and races.}

People stood and came together, some people even left their offices. I felt a sense of community during the march which you generally don’t really feel but it didn’t feel like much was done after. It felt like the president's speech was only made to get rid of us. I haven’t seen much change being made since._”

The influencer felt like Ramaphosa’s speech wasn’t genuine and more of a way to silence people at the march and move on to the next thing on his list. Most of the influencers described the president's speech as being insincere and not leading to any real change. One influencer stated:

“_{No NGOs and no organisations have brought what happened up. Counseling has grown and}

they are more active but it still happens on a daily basis here in SA. Her death was a peak and people are more comfortable posting about it. NGOs offer aftermath however the Jes foord

#SAShutDown &amp; #AmINext