Anele Siswana recently attended a BackChat session and realised how important it is that South Africa assists women with all the resources they need.
On the 26 August 2016, I had the privilege of attending BackChat: youth conversations for a better South Africa. As a young, black male I had a great time in this space led by bold and powerful young women.
The topic was ‘young women in a free South Africa’. I commend Buti Manamela, the deputy minister in the Presidency responsible for youth for his active involvement in the welfare and matters of young people in our country. Backchat conversations are a very useful space for young people to critically deliberate on matters that require an analytic mind and space to provide pragmatic strategies of re-shaping South Africa.
On this specific conversation, a panel of powerful young women from different spaces took the house by storm. They presented strong convictions on ways in which we can think of strategies of re-establishing a better South Africa. A variety of themes were discussed in relation to patriarchy, marginalization of women in high profile positions, struggles of young black single women, domestic violence and tensions among women.
The central theme of the debate was around ‘patriarchy’ defined as a structural, non-flexible system that perpetuates marginalization of women through negating their existence and failing to acknowledge their role in society. It is described as the most frustrating and excruciating system that promotes the discourse of hegemonic masculinity.
The ideology that describes women as powerless, vulnerable and as ‘empty’ subjects that can only fulfil roles that less recognisable. In this conversation most women and panelists described themselves as feminists that aim to fight the existing structures of patriarchy with effective and strong strategies ranging from government, local level and in other spheres. The conversation went on to address the issue of marginalization of women in high profiled position. It came out that women in position of special offices and positions struggle to function effectively judged on the basis of their gender, questionable abilities and lack of structural support. The rest is your ordinary social ills on painful marginalization of women as subject victims of vulnerability and domestic violence.
What became the theme of the night was the idea of ‘de-constructing’ and ‘un-learning’ problematic ideologies infused through social construction.
The idea of un-learning certain ideologies speaks to ways in which we can begin to teach young women to stand and speak up against all forms of marginalization and patriarchy. This was also a space to provide pragmatic solution to problems faced by women. A huge emphasis was placed on women strengthening networks to support one another. This is in contrast to what is reported to the current practice of women, suppressing and pulling each other down.
Essentially, it was encouraged that women should support each other; if one tends to be selected for a particular position other women should do their level best to make sure that they put supporting structures in place. It also became prominent that men can also play an important role in creating safe spaces for women to capacitate them and to be fully functional in their respecting roles and where they are lacking provide supporting structures. My comment as a participant was centered on the formation of young women.
In this I proposed that women need to think of ways of providing mentoring and guidance that is centered on teaching fundamental life skills, values of womanhood, self-respect, independence that promotes interdependence with men and many other critical 2 elements of social life. I also encouraged the value of using forgotten traditional or indigenous knowledge systems as ways of socialising young women to be more conscious of their identity and embracing their being.
In addressing problems faced by women, it is important that our nation needs an integrative approach to try and assist women with all the resources that they need.
I also emphasise the role of families, local communities and religious formations to actively play an important role in enabling women to fight against injustice and any form of marginalization.
* Anele Siswana is a clinical psychologist and public commentator
* The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media