The sexualisation of Black women in revealing western clothing in the media - a contributing factor to sexual violence in South Africa

Abstract

Sexual violence against girls and women is a global problem and South Africa is regarded as having one of the highest incidences of rape in the world. Sexual violence is not limited to just the physical violation, it also includes verbal acts such as catcalling and groping. Many reasons (rape myths) have been given by the perpetrators of sexual violence, and they range from alcohol, ‘misunderstanding’ to lack of control. In most cases, the reason given is that the victim herself was tempting, provocative and seductive either in her actions or in how she presented herself. In South Africa, there have been a prevalent case of Black girls/women being stripped naked publicly for the way they were dressed (miniskirts or shorts). The men involved in these instances see this as a ‘corrective’ and deterrence measure that aims to uphold the dignity of traditions and cultures. These same men then turn around and applaud Black girls/women dressed in even more “revealing” clothes. The reason behind the men’s negative thinking towards revealing western clothes is linked to how they perceive women, a perception that is often linked to the media. Using the theory of objectification (and others), the study looked at the perceptions Black South African men have towards Black South African women when they are dressed in “revealing” clothes and whether it contributed to the high number of sexually violent crimes in the country. This was a qualitative study and used an online questionnaire with 120 participants taking part. The study focused on 34 critical questions in which participants answered questions on their perceptions of media and its influence on their views of Black women particularly in revealing clothes. The study showed over 80% of the participants agreed that western style clothes are revealing and 87% stated that women are sexually harassed by men because of the revealing western clothes they wore. The participants also viewed traditional clothes differently from western clothes with 78% stating that they do not hold the same value in society. And so, a reduction of sexual content on all media platforms, education on sex that includes the acknowledgement of women as human beings at school, the re-introduction of traditional values and the use of the various traditional spaces to educate young men would assist in changing the perception that Black South African men have towards Black South African girls and women.