In South Africa, Women’s Day on August 9, commemorates the march of thousands of women to Pretoria’s Union Buildings in 1956 in protest against apartheid’s evil pass laws that sought to restrict the movements of non-white South Africans.

Across the country, males will doubtless be wondering why can’t there be a “Men’s Day” too. The answer, of course, is that every day (including August 9) is in actual fact a man’s day.
While South Africa’s Constitution enshrines gender equality, bodily integrity and reproductive rights and, undoubtedly, there are many women playing an active role in public life, there’s a long, long way to go.

South Africa is a country where girls are fondled on their way to school. Minibus taxi drivers strip a woman to her underwear for daring to wear a miniskirt. The barbaric practice of virginity testing continues (despite it being illegal to subject girls younger than 16 to this). Sex workers are harassed and persecuted by the police. Women face discrimination in the workplace. And the president purportedly believes that a woman wearing a kanga (a wraparound cloth) is an invitation — or, even worse, a justification — to have sex with her.

South Africa is a country where there are 54,000 rapes reported annually — and countless more women face unspeakable abuse.

The advent of South Africa’s democracy has done little to improve the lot of women. Why? Because misogyny and patriarchy are ingrained cultural norms among men — both black and white. It is accepted, even if only implicitly, that women are second-class citizens, subservient to and owned by their masters — men.

South Africa has a crisis of values in which men are brought up to believe they are entitled to treat women as objects to abuse, hurt, exploit, rape, harass, control and patronize. Young boys growing up seeing their mothers being bashed about know no better. And so this vicious cycle of oppression continues.

But can men alone shoulder responsibility for this parlous state of affairs? It is important to bear in mind the role that some (and not all) women play in perpetuating patriarchy. They do this in passively accepting their fate, and in reinforcing the misogynistic worldview espoused by their husbands, raising chauvinists as a result of this.

Senior women members of the African National Congress ruling party — especially those who have served in the Cabinet — have failed utterly to take action against the rampant domestic abuse women face. They have been bought — co-opted into power, perks and patronage. Their loyalty to a patriarchal regime indifferent to the suffering of women has thus far ensured that South Africa’s women remain trapped in their suffering.

Most of these senior party women have remained silent over the HIV/Aids pandemic — of which women bear the brunt. They have been toeing a line that has led to countless deaths and unnecessary infections — the latter, especially, being a direct result of the government’s recalcitrance over the implementation of programs for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The most notable exception, the erstwhile deputy minister of health, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, was fired for daring to show integrity and initiative in her response to the crisis.

There are signs of hope. South Africa has a vibrant civil society — and its successes in challenging former President Mbeki’s Aids denialism has proven that through strength, courage and perseverance, things can change.

The local media can also make a huge difference in dismantling the notions and representations of patriarchal society and the tyrannical, dehumanizing symptoms that stem from it. Last year the inspirational talk show host Redi Direko led a protest march to the Noord Street taxi rank (where the above-mentioned miniskirt harassment incident occurred), accompanied by hundreds of women voicing their opposition against misogynist thugs.

The struggle to achieve nonsexism is not over. Liberation and true gender equality is an elusive dream for many millions of South African women and still needs to be fought for — and won. The status quo of the implicit oppression of women will continue unless women — and enlightened men — actively challenge sexism (and the patriarchal systems that underscore it) in all its manifestations.

Alex Matthews is editor of The Soapbox. He writes this in his personal capacity.

According to extensive research, feminism is about fighting for equality for women. According to certain activists at Rhodes, Feminism is about fighting. As a journalism student I am tired of having to explain why we are asked to deal with sensitive issues such as rape and sexual harassment. I am tired of being chased away by certain “authorities” on these issues who refuse to speak to me because I “don’t understand”. Damn straight I don’t understand!

I don’t understand how certain “authorities” can claim to fight against gender-based discrimination and in the same breath make a statement like “all tomboys are lesbians”! I don’t understand how certain “authorities” can claim to fight for gender equality and at the same time say that “all men are rapists”! I kid you not, friends, this is the truth and a bitter one at that.

I have a friend (hmmm, friend is a strong word — let’s go for “acquaintance”) at Rhodes who surprised us all this year by bringing her girlfriend to meet everyone. Let me just say that last year this same girl was infamous for her “charming” behavior with many men so the girlfriend was a bit of a surprise. Nonetheless it seems her newly discovered sexuality is the golden key to “understanding” because suddenly she is a self claimed “authority” in the field of gender activism!

Many like me have tried over and over again to participate in seemingly good intended events only to be met with aggression and intimidation because we “don’t understand!”. Correct me if I’m wrong but it doesn’t make sense to think that the reason for attending such events is to gain understanding. Aren’t events such as these supposed to attract the masses (not chase them away) to raise awareness for the cause?

Feminism, as I have come to understand it though observing practices at Rhodes, is all about fighting. It’s wonderful to be passionate about a cause you’re fighting for but not to the extent that you chase away people that are trying to help you! Strong passions can be a dangerous thing because as The Platters said, “When your heart’s on fire, smoke gets in your eyes.” Don’t be blinded by your rage. If this aggression and hate embodies what feminism is then I think a new approach needs to be adopted. I recommend humanitarianism, and here is your first challenge: Since you claim I “don’t understand”… MAKE ME!

Debbie Liebenberg is a Journalism & Linguistics student at Rhodes University.