I think for long, we (women) have been tricked into thinking we are equal. Along with that comes the false sense that we are safe, especially when we decide to travel alone or come home late. However, the sad truth is that we are not equal…yet.

Women are still viewed as objects, playthings, disposable. When the men in our own country view us as second class citizens, it’s hard to assume men in other places will treat us with respect.

Women are not equal. Women are not safe.

Thordis Elva shared a teenage romance with Tom Stranger. After a school dance, Tom raped Thordis, after which they parted ways for many years. 16 years after the rape, Tom and Elva met in Cape Town and shared their life stories. The pair have co-authored a book, South of Forgiveness, to give out a simple message, that the power of words triumphs all and that it’s high time that we stop treating sexual violence as a women’s issue.

So, we can either live in fear, or we can try to live the life we want. Sure, we are taking risks when we travel to foreign places, travel alone, seek adventure, happiness, experiences.

We run the same risk when we go on a date, give out our phone number, get married. We are far more likely to die at the hands of a significant other, in our own homes and communities.

23 year old Catherine Johannet was a “globetrotting Scarsdale woman who had already visited 6 continents and innumerable countries. Catherine was found dead in Panama (of an island off Panama’s coast).