A CULTURE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN SOUTH AFRICA: A CASE STUDY ANALYSIS

Violence against women is extremely prevalent in South Africa. South Africa has one of world's highest levels of reported rapes and has been labeled the rape capital of the world. Domestic abuse is also rife in South Africa, with alarming levels of partner violence. Nearly two decades since the end of Apartheid and South Africa is still grappling with the relentless issue of violence. However this is not surprising as South Africa's past is embedded in political violence and oppression, creating a culture of violence which is both normalized and tolerated. This study focuses on how women's lives and identities are transformed by living in this culture of violence, more specifically the psychological impact this has on them. The theory of the psychosocial subject was used to frame the study and a biographical-interpretive methodological approach was utilized. A case study approach was adopted and a series of free-association, narrative interviews were conducted with 27 female, University of Cape Town (UCT) students, between the ages of 18-32 years. Interpretive analysis, drawing on social discourses, biographical/narrative accounts and unconscious motivations and forces, was used to analyze the data. Findings have revealed the complex interaction between identity and trauma, more specifically the prevailing discourse of silencing women's stories. South Africa has one of the most progressive constitutions in the world and some of the highest number of women in Parliament in the world. However despite extensive legislation which readdresses the subordination of women in South Africa, the staggering levels of violence against women remain. This paper explores how women and the violence perpetrated against them are silenced in South Africa. It examines the paradox between the high levels of violence against women and the extensive legal discourse set in place to protect women. It explores the subtle fear and trauma entrenched in the stories of these women as they are exposed to continuous trauma. This research goes beyond previous literature as it highlights how all women are affected by the presence of violence in their community, emphasizing the bondage that violence against women has over the lives of all women.