If you asked me about my childhood in South Africa, I would tell you stories about my beautiful sunny country, the beautiful mountains of the Drakensburg, the relentless sun of my province Limpopo, and how strict my mother was when I was growing up!
Fast forward to [now], and asked the same question but about my young adult life, my first answer would be ... fear. Gut wrenching fear.
I wish I could write this post more about how beautiful my country still is and all the beautiful places one can visit. I wish to dwell more on the various breathtaking landscapes that adorn the country but, I can’t.
The past few years have been hard for the female community in my country. One cannot take a walk down the street without feeling chills down their spine when they realize that a man is walking a few steps behind them. Trips to the malls and lunch dates are quickly cut short when you log onto Twitter and see another hashtag calling for help in finding a missing girl or woman. Your house provides little sanctuary because we’ve all seen women being attacked in their homes... their safe spaces.
You start to fear every male you walk across, sit across... every male you see.
I’d like to write a more positive post about my life as a woman in my country but for now... My fear has taken over.
