We live in a beautiful country, don’t we? Every year, thousands of tourists flock to our shores to enjoy our splendours natural wonders and delectable cuisine. But SA is also a dangerous place, especially for our women, our wives, mothers and daughters.
Statistics have shown that South Africa has the highest rape rate per capita on the globe. And, unfortunately, many women never report their rape out of fear of reprisal. This needs to stop! As South African men, we are tired of hearing and reading in the news about our mothers, sisters and daughters being raped and mutilated. It’s time for the women of our country to take a stand against rape.
Say what you will, but a firearm is a great equalizer. Inherently, rapists are cowards. They may be too weak minded to approach a woman and start a normal conversation with her and they often blame their inabilities on women. And, due to their failures with the opposite sex, they often resort to violence.
But a gun in the hands of a woman being targeted for rape can be a great deterrent for any would-be rapist. Instead of pursuing the lady with the gun, the coward would pick an easier target.
Rapists pick targets that they believe are weak and unable to defend themselves. If women not only owned guns but also understood how to use them, a rapist would run out of options. He may think that he can overpower her and have his way but, as soon as she pulls out a 9 millimetre or a Springfield Special, the tables will turn. The woman will have the power and the rapist may need to submit, or face dire consequences.
Violence against women in our country has reached alarming proportions. As proud South African men, we feel a duty to protect our mothers, sisters and daughters but we also understand that there’s a way that they can protect themselves. Firearms and their uses are not just men’s domain anymore, women from all walks of life are taking a stand and arming themselves.
There are a huge number of gun shops in SA, staffed by people with vast knowledge regarding firearms and there are plenty of facilities that can train women on how to maintain and operate firearms. We are calling on our mothers, sisters and daughters to stand up, to arm themselves and to end sexual violence in our country.