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Unscrambling Perspectives on African Feminism – Defying the Cultural NarrativeFeminist movements have made great strides in drawing attention to gender-based inequality in Africa. However, the existence of hierarchies in societies dominated by patriarchal values, means a change of mind set is still required. This panel forum will deconstruct the articulations of the concept of contemporary African feminism and its social implications. The dialogue will examine:What are the perspectives of African Feminism? I was very pleased when Ike asked me to be part of this panel & then I read the write ups of the other panellists & received the topic & I won’t lie I panicked! I even thought of pulling a sickie & then I realised that this was my opportunity to “Stop playing small” as Marianne Williamson would say or “To lean in” as Sheryl Sandberg would say or to even admit to being a feminist like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said, even though & in her words “Feminists are often unhappy as they are women who cannot find husbands.” I can assure you that I am a proud feminist & I am also a very happy wife & yes, you can do both together. I then spent a long time reading, watching TED talks, asking (I even did a quick survey on Facebook), calling friends who I admired – one in Geneva & another in Johannesburg & then I reflected & I thought. I knew that I could speak about other people’s ideas of feminism & then I realised that we here at Waterford do not only talk but African Feminism but that we live it. I thought of powerful young woman like Sihle & Bantfu who are breaking barriers; about amazing young men like Ike, Umar, Vuyo & Mridul who are part of the BG team & proud of it; girls like Donna Falcomer who proved to me that you don’t need to set fitness targets for girls & boys that are different, as it is not our gender but our ability that determines us; people like Jackie & Nick who made me question how I thought about & dealt with the issue of girls & dress codes & even this week hearing that the Dick Eyeington Cup is now known as the Dick & Enid Eyeington Cup & that female teams will be playing. I am sure that if Sara from Denmark has it her way, before she leaves WK there will also be mixed teams playing & so there should be.I then thought about where we can still challenge the idea of feminism on our campus. Why is it for example that so many of our staff (the maintenance teams, the cleaning teams, the security teams) are defined by gender? Or you, the students why do we allow & laugh at the objectification of women through ‘games’ like the WK Challenge? I am sure that Michelle Obama would ask why for some people it is still more important to know how a woman’s body looks than how her mind works.” Lastly, my personal thought is that as a woman, I have often struggled with the idea that some people have, that in order to lead as a woman you need to be tough. It was only quite late in my twenties, when I was given a copy of Martin Luther King Jr speeches, titled Strength to Love to read that I understood that in order to be an effective leader and a feminist that you need to have both a tough mind and a tender heart. “Tough-mindedness without tender heartedness is cold and detached, leaving one’s life in perpetual winter devoid of the warmth of spring and the gentle heat of summer. What is more tragic than to see a person who has risen to the disciplined heights of tough-mindedness but has at the same time sunk to the passionless depths of hardheartedness?”As feminists, I hope that we can all strike the balance between being tough minded and tender hearted. Traditional versus Modern Day Perspective’s? It’s a perspective of timeIs there African Feminism? Is it anti African to be a feminist? How can we encourage men & boys to become feminists? The power is still largely in men’s hands, so we need to change their mind set. What benefits are there to men, if they give away some of this power? Women who play a role in African FeminismStokvels – experience at Ubuholu (Leading with Humanity)Men that currently lead in AfricaHow is having a president like JZ pushing feminism forward or backwards? Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie We should all be feminists. “You know you are a feminist? It was not a compliment. I could tell from his tone, it was the same tone that you would use if you say that I am a supporter of terrorism”. “Feminists are unhappy as they are women who cannot find husbands.” Feminism is not African – it comes from a Western mind set? Is it anti African? What if in raising children we focus on ability rather than gender? Feminist – a person who believe in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes. Jorja – AstronautIn the 1960s, NASA sent a rejection letter to a hopeful astronaut simply because she was female. At the time, there was no impetus to set up a training program for women. How times have changed: The latest class of NASA astronauts is comprised of 50 percent women for the first time in history, as reported by The New York Times.My ExperiencesAt a young age in home life – my brother was excused from doing jobs around the house, like tidying up the table or washing the dishes. As I got older, boys were allowed to do more exciting things like playing interesting sports & going on adventures. Even the books that they read were more interesting. Boys did really cool things at Scouts, girls did really naff things (in my mind!) at brownies & girl guides. At high school, it was compulsory for everyone to go & watch the boy’s first team rugby play every Saturday, but no one ever had to come & watch the girls play hockey. In the school magazine, the rugby team got a full colour double page photo, us girls got a 1/8th black & white photo.At College, when I joined male teachers were paid more than female teachers as the male in the household was the bread winner. When I stood for SRC President, I was one of the first woman to hold this position. I didn’t think that was such a big deal, but looking back I guess to some people in the organisation it was. This was also a time of great upheaval due to the transformation of the campus. Most of the very charged meetings were led by & dominated by men & at times it was difficult to be a woman. It was difficult as I worried about what people thought about me as a woman in that position – I don’t think men had to do the same. It was a balancing act between not wanting to be seen as too aggressive (or in those days God Forbid a butch, strong woman) or too weak. Hijacking – did my lack of aggression save me? The first company that I worked for in London was a real boys club. I was promised a promotion and it was a well-deserved one. It had not been announced, as I wanted to go through a formal process. I was shocked that on a Monday morning when I got to work to hear one of the men bragging about the fact that he had received the promotion that I had been promised. I went to speak to the owner about this & he did not have a very good excuse other than to say it kind of just happened at the pub on Friday night. I resigned. Disastrous relationship – toughen up. Meeting Mike & receiving the book Martin Luther King Jr “Tough mindedness & tender heartedness” Working in a predominantly male environment but with a very supportive male boss. Teaching – Girls’ College. Bush School – girls going away to the bush for 17 nights? An awakening for me – these girls were tough, smart, sassy, beautiful. Our head always used to say we want to raise girls who can be so tough on the inside that they can chose to be gentle on the outside. Becoming a mom to both girls & boys. When it becomes personal, you really start to notice. Jorja been told that she has to wear a dress to school – why? Kamoka – stereo typing of girls & boys. Challenges were the same & the girls & boys wanted it that way. The wood carry, the hikes, the chores, the tidying up, the braaing etc. Waterford – Girl Rising & BraveGirl - I won’t let my wife serve me on my knees. Opinion of the one headmaster that we must not educate / enlighten the girls on feminism as that is what can get them into trouble with men. My experience & learning with dress code – an enlightening experience. Staff at WK – gender roles cleaning, maintenance, securityDonna – record for most many lapsSihle & Bantfu – breaking barriersDick & Enid Eyeington CupMore Ikes, Umars, Vuyos & Mriduls – part of the BG teamA marriage to a wonderful man who treats me as an equal & always encourages to be more. A Mighty GirlMalala Yousafzai - the Pakistani girls' education activist, who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban at the age of 15, has been lauded worldwide for her advocacy on behalf of girls and women. In a famous speech, the recent high school graduate who is heading to Oxford this fall, said: "Dear sisters and brothers, we realize the importance of light when we see darkness. We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced... The extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women. The power of the voice of women frightens them."A Tomboy"According to Wikipedia: A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of a boy, including wearing masculine clothing and engaging in games and activities that are physical in nature and are considered in many cultures to be 'unfeminine' or the domain of boys.Just because there is a Wikipedia entry, doesn't mean we have to subscribe to it.Some girls climb trees. Some girls wear dresses. Some girls climb trees while wearing dresses. Don't define people by how they play and don't call girls boys (or boys, girls.)... Do all of these things and know that you are a girl. Don't do any of them and know that you are a girl. Be yourself.Wear lipstick, play soccer, have friends that are girls, have friends that are boys, eat bacon... or salad, watch romantic comedies or action movies, wear pink or wear blue. None of it matters. You. Are. A. Girl. NOT...a tomboy. A girl."Sexual AbuseEmma Silkowicz – girl from Columbia University - mattressMichelle ObamaAs a girl my voice was somehow less important. That how my body looked was more important than how my mind worked. Winnie MandelaYou strike a woman, you strike a rockMarylyn HodkinsonHow do white woman fit into African feminism? As a woman who has adopted a black child how do I fit into that?Counselling girls – different shapes, darker skins, lighter skins – more beautiful. Hair debate. Did these black girls just try to fit in? Father would restrict them. Patriarchal structures – acceptance that this is the culture. From Facebook FriendsStrong women are educated womanWomen against arranged marriages, labola, female circumcisionCelebrating their ethnic beautyBravery to oppose traditional African patriarchyMichelle ObamaWomen in AfricaRwandan women today hold 62% of the country’s legislative seats, the highest in the world. In Senegal, South Africa, Namibia, and Mozambique, more than 40% of parliamentary seats are held by women. There are female speakers of the house in one fifth of African parliaments, higher than the world average of 14%. Women have claimed positions in key ministries throughout Africa. And women have increasingly run for executive positions, with Liberia, the Central African Republic, Malawi and Mauritius all having had female heads of state. Moreover, these increases in female representation are taking place across the continent, including predominantly Muslim countries such as Senegal, where women hold 43% of legislative seats.These new patterns are found at the regional level too, with women holding 50% of the positions at in African Union Commission, compared to just one-third at the European Commission. South Africa’s Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma meanwhile chaired the AU Commission from 2012 to 2017.According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, African countries have almost equal numbers of men and women either actively involved in business start-ups or in the phase of starting a new firm. And in countries such as Ghana, Nigeria and Zambia, women are reportedly more likely to be entrepreneurs than men.SanithaNot enough strides made in Africa. Very prevalent gender based bias. Women not been taken seriously in board meetings. A company that she works with that is a feminist organisation & yet their entire senior mgt team is made up of males only. How does feminism relate to gender based inequality. Women don’t always make themselves available. Women need to step up or Lean In as Sheryl Sandberg said.Other Points for PanelWhat are the diversity of expressions?What tensions and contradictions about African feminism in shaping Africa in the context of gender parity,What is social justice?What is political thought?African History?Cultural relativism ................
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