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Victims must become victors‚ says rape survivor

Picture Credit: patriarchysurvivor.files.wordpress.com
Picture Credit: patriarchysurvivor.files.wordpress.com

NOT remaining a victim is a decision that targets of genderbased violence have to make‚ Noordhoek rape survivor Alison Botha said on Tuesday.

Botha‚ 47‚ was a guest speaker at a conference on anti-gender violence at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University entitled Picking Up the Pieces and aimed at helping victims of gender-based violence to recover.

Botha‚ a sought-after inspirational speaker‚ spoke about the brutal sexual attack she was subjected to at the hands of two men in 1994.

She was raped‚ disembowelled and left for dead after her throat was slit.

“We all deal with struggles differently. To compare [your experience] with other people’s is unnecessary‚ it’s going to set you back. Don’t let it set you back‚” was one of the many pieces of advice Botha gave as she shared her story and how she recovered.

“I love butterflies. I like to think of my struggle as being like a butterfly‚ going through hardship and coming out better.”

She also told how taking control of her life had helped her become an activist against gender-based violence.

“We don’t need to take responsibility for the things other people do‚ we should take responsibility for how we respond.

“No matter who we are‚ there are certain things that we are in control of‚” she said‚ adding that she hoped her speech would make a difference.

Botha attributed her survival to her family’s support and her decision to be happy.

“You have to decide not to remain the victim. I saw that instead of becoming a victim‚ I could become a victor.” — Heraldlive

Botha’s book‚ I Have Life‚ has sold more than 50000 copies and she is planning to write another.

“I want to write a book sharing the different types of struggles of different people.”

 

 

 

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