As South Africa enters the 21st Century, many young people remain trapped by an outdated set of beliefs and attitudes around sexuality. The prevalence of these myths is having serious consequences, particularly for the country's girls and young women.

Research recently conducted by the health and development NGO, Soul City, has shown that these myths and attitudes feed into a culture of sexual violence and contribute to the current high levels of date rape.

Preparations for Soul City 4, a multi-media campaign which includes television and radio drama series as well as printed information, have highlighted the seriousness of this link between sexual myths, attitudes and date rape, according to project manager of Soul City 4, Dr Shereen Usdin. "In this fourth series, Soul City has tackled the issue of rape by challenging these underlying myths and attitudes. It has also been one of the ways we are addressing the issue of AIDS prevention. Young girls are vulnerable because of the high level of sexual violence in South Africa. They are also often unable to negotiate safer sex with their boyfriends because of the fear of a violent response."

Topping the list of the myths and attitudes that Soul City's research highlights is a sense of sexual entitlement that many men believe they have over women and young girls, and the belief that once aroused, a man cannot control his sexual urges. Failure to have sex is believed to harm a man. The project found that these myths start operating early, bringing pressure to bear on young boys experiencing "wet dreams" to have sex.

The television drama aspect of the campaign, which is currently running on SABC1, carries the storyline of a young boy experiencing his first wet dream. The subsequent conversation with his friends reveals the lack of information young people have about the normal phases of growing up.

Soul City's research has also shed some light on findings from other South African studies looking at the sexual experiences of girls and young women. Three different studies conducted in different parts of the country have shown that around one third of young South African girls' first sexual experience is coerced. However, according to Usdin, "Often, this is not perceived to be rape, because the perpetrator is a boyfriend."

There is a widespread assumption that if a young women accepts a love proposal or goes on a date with a man, she is consenting to sex, says Usdin. "Love has become commodified with many young men believing that spending money on a girl entitles him to sex, as a fair exchange."

Usdin says the aim of Soul City is to challenge these prevailing attitudes. Soul City first appeared on South Africa's airwaves in 1994 and audience surveys following each of the first three series, which focussed on a wide range of development issues, have shown a high degree of attitudinal change as a result of people having followed the stories.

Because a large part of this fourth series focuses on violence against women, Soul City has formed a partnership with the National Network on Violence against Women to provide support to audiences in need of help. Audiences will be connected to Network organisations at community level, through a tollfree "stop women abuse" helpline established together with the Department of Justice and managed by Lifeline. The number is 0800-150-150.

Soul City is currently on air on Wednesdays at 8:30pm on SABC 1. The project is sponsored by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the European Union, Kagiso Trust, Old Mutual and BP.

CONTACTS
Soul City: Dr Shereen Usdin - 0826524844 or 011-7287440
National Network on Violence Against Women: Mpho Thekiso - 083-6370201

 

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