Conversation with Rachel

Most of my short thought pieces have mainly reflected on wounded/healing women and empowering girls and women. I acknowledge that this space has not given much voice or space to boys; instead has been very critical of the imperfections of men. Truth and fact is: I don't know what it is like to be a boy/man or raise one. My closest understanding/comprehension of a male character is through the lens of being a daughter, a sister to my brothers, an aunt to my nephew, and a lover. Let's paint the picture: South Africa is experiencing a surge in cases of gender-based violence and femicide. While people of all genders experience intimate partner and or sexual abuse, men are often the perpetrators and women and children the victims. In 2009, 56% of women murdered were killed by their intimate male partner. Just under 50% of women report having ever experienced emotional or economic abuse at their intimate partners' hands in the lifetime. Between 28 and 37% of adult men reported ha...

Amnon was wicked. He brutally raped his sister Tamar. He destroyed her destiny and future. he slashed her self-esteem. He spoiled her integrity. He broke her femininity like a twig under his feet. Her assassinated her character. She went into his room a virgin with a future. When it was over, she was bleeding, trembling, crying mass of pain. [2 Samuel 13: 1 - 21] That is one of the saddest stories in the Bible. The body survived, but femininity was destroyed. She felt as though she would never be the woman that she would have been had it not happened. Have you ever had anything happen to you that changed you forever? Somehow, you were like a palm tree and you survived. Yet you knew you would never be the same..... But .... but some do not survive .... Why has society normalized the harassment, objectifying, abuse and killing of women? "A man shot his wife four times on the chest in front of the kids." "Pregnant South African woman found dead hanging in tree....