Women have rights too
African Times LEKIA LEE, something for my sisters.
FOR THE AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE ISSUE NO. 62 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 15, 2002
The Home Office still does not recognise rape as torture as it is not listed in the United Nations Convention of Human Rights as an offence. So women are being deported to face persecution

LAST week I promised that I as going to speak to Cristel Amiss from the Black Women's Rape Action Project (BWRAP), about the work the organisation is doing. Now I can gloat and say I've kept my promise.

It is frightening to think why it is necessary for an organisation like BWRAP to have existed for 11 years! But if the truth be said, from celebrity rapist, to man-in the-street-violator, to gang rape by men in authority, rape is in the air and this act of savagery does not seem to slow down even in the 21st century. There is no telling how much more brutal this crime is in countries ravaged by war. History tells us that Africans do not take precedence in this. During the Second World War, the Russians showed their hatred for Germany by raping their women, Serbs systematically raped Bosnian Muslim women, and rogue soldiers constantly raped ethnic minority women in Burma. Stupidly, the Africans are carrying this exclusive male legacy into this century.


Combating sexism: Cristel tackling the flaws in the United Nations Convention on Human Rights

Consequently, according to Cristel, "statistics are such that 50% - and that's an estimate, and it may well be much higher - of women who come into Britain to seek asylum are rape survivors." One is forgiven for thinking that these women are the fortunate ones, but now we get to know the real reason why BWRAP exists. " The Home Office does not want to recognise rape as torture. One of the problems is that it is not listed in the UN Convention of Human Rights as such. Very often in the refusal letters that the Home Office writes to female applicants, they say that we accept that you were ill-treated (they have lots of euphemisms for rape), but it was by some rogue elements in the police. Therefore it's not a Conventional reason. Or they will admit that you were raped but it wasn’t you they were after, it was your husband. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is exactly the treatment women have received. Sometimes they will say we do accept you were raped but it is safe for you to go back home now because there has been a regime change. This completely ignores the human rights aspect of how traumatic it must be to be sent back, and how almost impossible it will be for some of the women to survive there."

Cristel is quite clear as to why our less fortunate sisters have to put up with such complete disregard for their sanity and safety. "There is no value placed on women's lives. Women and children are at the bottom of the pile. Caring is not a priority in this country. Carers are, by and large, women and increasingly children, particularly in third world countries.

"Rape is a weapon against women, to subjugate women, to get at the community in general by bringing women down. Most of the rape victims that we see particularly from African countries are victims of rape by people in authority; police, military, and special agents. There is nowhere for them to turn for help. Increasingly now there are less places to look for help," adds Cristel. "Unfortunately when they come to Britain these women are faced with the huge double-barrelled force of racism and sexism."

Rape
To combat this mighty force BWRAP works closely with two other organisations that help women and refugees. Women Against Rape (WAR), who have just had a 100 per cent cut in their funding, and the No School Apartheid who have just lost a battle in stopping the building and teaching of refugee children in accommodation centres. But Cristel says BWRAP is not going to give up, and the next move is non-co-operation, "Things can be changed. I mean non-cooperation is a very powerful weapon. We have to withdraw our co-operation, for example, with the accommodation centres. If people do not work in them they cannot run them. That is a call we would support and encourage others do."

Black Women's Rape Action Project & Women Against Rape
Crossroads Women's Centre, PO Box 287, London NW6 5QU
Tel: 020 7482 2496 Fax: 020 7209 4761 Email: bwrap@dircon.co.uk

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