What Is Consent? | A Call for Accountability as We Mark 16 Days of Activism Against GBV
As South Africa approaches yet another 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence , we find ourselves returning to the same heartbreaking truth: we are living in a country where women do not feel safe—not in public, not at work, not even in their own homes. And at the root of so much of this violence is a simple, yet tragically misunderstood concept: consent . It has become painfully clear that too many men still do not understand what consent truly means. Whether it’s a teenage boy fumbling through a relationship with a girlfriend who is uncomfortable but afraid to say it… or a polished executive who “jokes,” flirts, and makes comments toward a junior employee while calling it harmless— the ignorance, entitlement, and carelessness are the same . Because when hormones are raging or when power is at play, many men seem to lose the ability—or willingness—to recognise discomfort. To see fear. To hear silence. To acknowledge boundaries. A woman coming over to hang out with you does ...
