Rape is a Heinous Crime

Campaign on Ending Date Rape and Securing Justice for Survivors

A few weeks ago, a young woman walked into our office looking for help. She had been drugged and raped on a date, and had contracted an STI. She was also pregnant. This young woman, is one of the many victims of date rape who have joined our Pachoto safe spaces for support. Date Rape is rape in which there has been some sort of romantic or a potential romantic relationship between the two parties.  Date rape often occurs when seduction fails and the offender proceeds without consent. Offenders often go unpunished because victims might justify their actions using their relationship status, i.e. boyfriend or lover.

Date Rape fuels HIV, Teenage Pregnancies, Child and Forced Marriage

The National AIDS council reports that the HIV prevalence rate among girls aged between 15-24 is 3-4 times higher than in their male counterparts. This alarming trend can clearly be attributed to date rape, as rapists will often not use condoms. Apart from HIV, Date rape is a major driver of teenage pregnancies and when girls get pregnant, they are expected to elope, and marry the person responsible. According to a Girls Not Brides report on Zimbabwe, 1 in 3 girls are married before their 18th birthday. In many cases, families do not realise that they are marrying off their daughter to former boyfriends turned rapists.