Lady Zamar was told to keep quiet about abuse to save her career
From being laughed at by the police to being told to keep quiet about her sexual violation, Lady Zamar has shared her painful experience with her fans.
Lady Zamar has taken to Twitter to share the harsh realities she has faced as a woman who has experienced abuse.
In a long thread, the 'This Is Love' hitmaker detailed how abuse is rife in South Africa and victims are often marginalised.
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"There are way too many abusive boyfriends, husbands, friends in this country.. every single day we’re fighting gender based violence..if it’s not that, we’re terrorizing victims for speaking out, protecting rapists or being rape apologists.. No means No and it won’t change," she wrote.
She added that the fear of being terrorised as a victim silenced her for years.
"For years I couldn’t deal with the idea of rape.. women who have been violated are portrayed as broken or damaged goods.. because of the stigma of speaking up rape continues," she said.
READ: Clinical psychologist: How society can fight gender-based violence
The singer, who reportedly accused fellow-musician Sjava of rape last year, says the system fails to protect the victims.
"I once reported a stalker to the police and I was asked if he has physically harmed me.. and the police laughed coz they said unless the man had physically harm me there was nothing they could do..imagine.. we gotta first die or be maimed or fatally wounded then the law can act?"
READ: Sjava responds to Lady Zamar's rape claims
Lady Zamar even claims she was told to keep quiet for the sake of her career.
"Imagine being told to keep quiet coz your career depends on you not causing a scene? Sexual violations swept under the carpet for appearances or for careers.. that’s our reality here," she said.
Below is the thread:
People talk a lot of ignorance on social media.. if you’ve ever been in an abusive relationship you know what It feels like to be terrorized..every moment of every day you live in fear.. you could be the president of a country but when ure around that person you feel like nothing
— MIYA KHAI (@Lady_Zamar) July 12, 2020
Fear is powerful... make a woman feel afraid to leave coz of anything and she won’t. Abusers know what they’re doing.. they’re no mindless idiots wearing labels. They take their time to create the right environment of abuse and usually they are the most loved ppl to everyone else
— MIYA KHAI (@Lady_Zamar) July 12, 2020
There are way too many abusive boyfriends, husbands, friends in this country.. every single day we’re fighting gender based violence..if it’s not that, we’re terrorizing victims for speaking out, protecting rapists or being rape apologists.. No means No and it won’t change.
— MIYA KHAI (@Lady_Zamar) July 12, 2020
No one wants to face the ugly truth that they probably know someone who has been raped or has raped..
— MIYA KHAI (@Lady_Zamar) July 12, 2020
For years I couldn’t deal with the idea of rape.. women who have been violated are portrayed as broken or damaged goods.. because of the stigma of speaking up rape continues
I once reported a stalker to the police and I was asked if he has physically harmed me.. and the police laughed coz they said unless the man had physically harm me there was nothing they could do..imagine.. we gotta first die or be maimed or fatally wounded then the law can act?
— MIYA KHAI (@Lady_Zamar) July 12, 2020
Imagine being told to keep quiet coz your career depends on you not causing a scene?
— MIYA KHAI (@Lady_Zamar) July 12, 2020
Sexual violations swept under the carpet for appearances or for careers.. that’s our reality here.
Image courtesy of Instagram/ @lady_zamar