Thank God we don’t look like what we have been through. In January 2020, I joined the legions of women in South Africa whose right to safety and justice had to be upheld by a court of law. My crime: I did not respond to WhatsApp messages on my phone from a stranger. #IWD2020 
Gender Based Violence has no bounds: no age, demeanor, class, access, education, public standing, colour will protect you from it. It’s not a matter of IF, it’s a matter of WHEN it will affect you directly. It’s waiting at the supermarket, in the boardroom, in your DMs. #IWD2020
Reporting any form of violation as a woman in South Africa is an extreme sport. First, you have the dig deep for the courage to make your violation known. Second, you have to remove any doubt in your own mind it happened to YOU. #IWD2020 #EachforEqual
In my story I mention the secondary violations of the system, it’s people and other people. Most people are enraged by GBV, yet sadly have no idea how to respond and be effective allies when it strikes too close to the bone. #IWD2020 #EachforEqual
The legal and police system is set up so that you can report incidents of GBV and harassment in your personal capacity. And you are entitled to service and a process. Criminal and Civil Cases are won on PROCESS and the letter of the law; pay attention. #IWD2020 #EachforEqual
By the time my court hearings began, I had filed a 76 page founding affidavit. My attorneys kept me sane, measured, safe and reasonable. Every piece of data counts when the full onus of proof lies on you, the applicant, throughout the process.
Early in the trial, the media got wind of the matter I had brought before the court. Swift responses to stall this became necessary. The court of public opinion, speculation and social media is not always your friend. Put your phone down. #IWD2020 #EachForEqual
The court process is as dehumanising and as traumatic as you have heard. You will have your name called out in corridors. You will sit meters away from your abuser, without security. You will wait. And wait. Stick to the facts in your story. Fight for you. #IWD2020 #EachforEqual
Gender Based Violence, Inequality and Injustice, their root causes, entrenchment and consequences are a complex triangle to dismantle. Holding the triangle together are a myriad of beliefs, enablers and defensive systems that entrench these challenges. #IWD2020 #EachforEqual
You can’t take up space, if you can’t breathe. I don’t have the cure to the madness. Only a few basic pointers on how to navigate through its darkness, wherever it finds you. Happy International Womens Day, all things being equal. My story: lynettentuli.wordpress.com/2020/03/08/tha… #IWD2020
