RAPE IN SOUTH AFRICA THE EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN RAPED BY A “KNOWN PERSON”. A CASE STUDY OF WOMEN AT A SHELTER IN JOHANNESBURG. Corey Sarana Spengler A dissertation submitted to the Wits School of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Sociology. Johannesburg 2012/2013 Sociology MA by Dissertation: Ms Corey Spengler Copyright Notice: The copyright of dissertation vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, in accordance with the University’s Intellectual Property Policy. No portion of the text may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including analogue and digital media, without prior written permission from the University. Extracts of or quotations from this dissertation may, however, be made in terms of Sections 12 and 13 of the South African Copyright Act No. 98 of 1978 (as amended), for non-commercial or educational purposes. Full acknowledgement must be made to the author and the University. An electronic version of this dissertation is available on the Library webpage (www.wits.ac.za/library) under “Research Resources”. For permission requests, please contact the University Legal Office or the University Research Office (www.wits.ac.za). i Sociology MA by Dissertation: Ms Corey Spengler Title Page: Name: Corey Sarana Spengler Student Number: 0312348G Subject: Masters in Sociology by Dissertation Course Code: SOCL8003 Supervisor: Dr Terry-Ann Selikow (PhD) Research Topic: Rape in South Africa Research Question: The experiences of women who have been raped by a “known person”. A case study of women at a shelter in Johannesburg. Ethics Clearance: H120724 ii Sociology MA by Dissertation: Ms Corey Spengler Table of Contents: Copyright Notice:..................................................................................................................................... i Title Page: ............................................................................................................................................... ii THAT MAN (Alone I Can’t Be Heard) ................................................................................................. vi Acknowledgements: .............................................................................................................................. vii Plagiarism Declaration: .......................................................................................................................... ix Abstract: .................................................................................................................................................. x Acronyms: ............................................................................................................................................. xii Definitions: .......................................................................................................................................... xiii Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Research Aims and Objectives ..................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Structure of the Report .................................................................................................................. 4 1.4 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 2: Literature Review .................................................................................................................. 6 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Definition of Gender-Based Violence with a Focus on Rape ....................................................... 7 2.3 Rape Statistics in South Africa ..................................................................................................... 8 2.4 “The Social Context of Rape in South Africa” ........................................................................... 10 2.5 Research on Rape in South Africa .............................................................................................. 15 2.6 Reporting or Not Reporting Rape ............................................................................................... 17 2.7 Role of Religion .......................................................................................................................... 20 2.8 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 20 Chapter 3: Theoretical Framework ....................................................................................................... 22 3. 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 23 3.2 Feminist Theory of Rape ............................................................................................................ 23 3.3 Feminist Standpoint Theory ........................................................................................................ 25 3.4 Patriarchy as an Element within Feminist Theory ...................................................................... 27 3.5 Stigma, Rape Myths or Stereotypes ............................................................................................ 30 3.6 Structure and Agency .................................................................................................................. 33 3.7 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 36 Chapter 4: Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 38 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 39 iii Sociology MA by Dissertation: Ms Corey Spengler 4.2 Research Design and Procedure .................................................................................................. 39 4.2.1 Feminist Standpoint Theory ................................................................................................. 39 4.2.2 Research Design ................................................................................................................... 41 4.2.3 Ethical Considerations ......................................................................................................... 43 4.3 Research Context ........................................................................................................................ 45 4.3.1 Research Site (The Shelter) .................................................................................................. 45 4.3.2 Research Respondents.......................................................................................................... 53 4.3.3 Interviews ............................................................................................................................. 54 4.4 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 54 4.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 55 Chapter 5: Research Narratives............................................................................................................. 56 5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 57 5.2 The Narratives ............................................................................................................................. 57 5.2.1 Daisy .................................................................................................................................... 57 5.2.2 Sandy .................................................................................................................................... 62 5.2.3 Lesedi ................................................................................................................................... 66 5.2.4 Grace .................................................................................................................................... 70 5.2.5 Lerato ................................................................................................................................... 72 5.2.6 Candice ................................................................................................................................ 76 5.3 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 79 Chapter 6: Analysis ............................................................................................................................... 81 6.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................