#gbv

i come from south africa, and gender-based violence here is terrifying. it’s not just something you hear about in passing—it’s constant. it’s everywhere. it’s so normalised in so many communities that girls are taught from a young age to just expect it. to be careful. to live scared.

every single day in south africa, at least 15 women are murdered. 117 women report rape to the police daily—and that’s just the ones who come forward. around 95% of GBV cases go unreported.

you grow up learning to keep your head down. to send your location. to not leave your home at night. to plan your walk outside. and no one really helps. no one in power is treating this like the disaster it is.

that’s why this petition matters. it’s trying to get GBVF (gender-based violence and femicide) declared a national disaster, which would force the government to take it seriously, allocate proper resources, and make protection and justice a priority—not an afterthought

i know this isn’t what most of us come to tumblr for. and i know how easy it is to scroll past things that feel “far away.” but i’m not asking for likes or reblogs. just a signature.

literally just your name. 10 seconds. if even a few people reading this sign, it could make a difference. it could push the number up enough to be seen. it’s one step closer to the kind of change women here desperately need.

here’s the link again: Women For Change

Every day in this country, 15 women are murdered. 117 rape cases are made every day in this country. In three months around 27000 GBV cases were made.

Our average of women killed is around 6 times higher than the global average.

Today, we have a national Shutdown where women aren’t doing any paid or unpaid labour, we are not going to the shop/buying anything, we are not doing anything.

And now, at 12:00, we are having 15 minutes of silence for the 15 women murdered every day.

We are wearing black and our profiles across social media are purple.

The petition as of right now has reached 1.1 million signatures to declare GBV and Femicide a national disaster. I’ve put the link at the bottom.

Today, I’m thinking about my grandmothers who both experienced GBV, I’m thinking of all my friends who have stories of r*pe/assault, I’m thinking of my childhood best friend who was murdered last year… We all have a story. And that is the most heartbreaking realisation. It’s not all men, but it’s enough that all women are terrified of being part of the 15 women a day.

A prebiotic cola. Also called a functional soda.

I want to bring attention to something really important happening in South Africa right now. Femicide has increased by 33% in the last year, and women are exhausted, terrified, and angry. The Women For Change movement has been doing everything they can to raise awareness, push for justice, and demand better protection for women, not just in SA, but everywhere. A lot of people across the world have already joined in solidarity by changing their profile pictures to purple, and I’m hoping more of us will help amplify their voices. You don’t need to be South African to care; violence against women is global, and it affects all of us.

If you have a platform, please use it. Even a reblog helps.If you don’t, your voice still matters. Please sign and share this petition

Silence keeps us unsafe — solidarity doesn’t.

But now, when are we going to start voting on the acknowledgements of the current, greatest crimes against humanity in Africa, by Africans, against Africans?

The El Fasher massacre in Sudan? The Tigray trafficking and mutilation of women? The Ozoro Rape Festival? The starvation of Gazans under Hamas and Israeli intelligence? The M23 Congolese Exploitation and Displacement? The decade long and ongoing slaughter of Nigerian Christians in Boko Haram? The stoning and murdering of women under Sharia Law in Afghanistan? The murders of women and men and children for protesting the Iranian Regime? The GBV and unemployment crises in South Africa?

6/12/26.

Almost Halloween Time Records is releasing yet another wonder - this time a 3 way split. Mitch Mitchell (Guided By Voices), Clever Square, and Lac Observation each get two songs.

Almost Halloween Time cut some 10" lathe cut for release - they are now sold out - but fear not because both Cruel Records and Hvergelmir Records apparently have CD-Rs available (although I don't CDs on that site yet).