Women's rights Take action in the community Places to help you Violence against women affects women all over the world and all over South Africa, whether they are rich or poor, young or old, black or white. Rape Rape is when a woman is forced to have sex when she does not want to. Even when it is the woman's boyfriend or husband who forces her, it is still rape. It is also rape, even if the woman has flirted with the man, or she has been wearing short skirts. Flirting and wearing short skirts does not mean she has agreed to have sex.
Rape is painful and violent and it hurts women.
Many women feel guilty after being raped, and blame themselves. They are frightened for a long time afterwards, and can become depressed and lose their confidence. They may find it hard to trust men or be alone with them after being raped. This is when someone touches or talks to a woman in a sexual way and she does not want it. She feels that she cannot tell him that he should stop, and she feels that he can make her suffer if she does not accept the attention.