Rape culture refers to the normalisation of rape, sexual assault or harassment that may be implicit or explicit. It is the pervasiveness of rape to the point that it is so normalised, it becomes a societal “culture” and is prevalent in our everyday lives.

The South African rape and gender-based violence crisis is something we need to address every chance we get. As parents, it is crucial that we do some introspection and discuss topics of rape culture with our children so they know right from wrong and never become a part of this devastation. 

Common misconception

There...

If your child’s assigned gender is causing nothing but distress, could he or she be transgender, asks Your Baby's writer Margot Bertelsmann, who won a Media24 Best Feature Excellence Award for this article last week.

From when she could speak, Jen and Gary’s son Alex* talked about “sparkly cupcakes and shiny fabrics,” Jen remembers. “I like to think we brought her up as a normal little boy, surrounded by trucks and train sets that she had zero interest in.”

By three years old, Alex was asking for dresses, and – considering themselves the sort of family...

I would start this article by saying, "It's 2019 now, we should be more tolerant of the next person's gender," and while that may be true, I feel like tolerance and respect is something we should have regardless of the time, and something we should continuously word towards mastering. 

Nonetheless, if you're someone who isn't too clued-up about gender terms, this article is a pretty good place to start. 

Do you teach your children about gender and the importance of being respectful of others regardless of theirs? we could publish them. Do let us know if you'd like...