Towards breaking gender bias

The Unisa Women’s Forum (UWF) commemorated the 2022 International Women’s Day which was globally centred around #BreakTheBias under the theme: Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow. International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women's achievements or rally for women's equality.

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Breaking the bias at Unisa

Professor Meahabo Magano, UWF Chairperson, shared some of the forum’s objectives that help break the bias within Unisa. One of them is the need to address mental health. “One of our objectives as the UWF is to upskill and empower women in mental health and coping with the loss or separation among other mental health needs,” she said. “We have dedicated women who are ready to support other women and men going through loss or separation.”

At the heart of the forum is also the role of giving back to disadvantaged communities. Magano said: “We believe in the motto that, as a woman rises, she must take other women along with her.” She explained that this is particularly important because whether deliberate or unconscious, the bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead and that knowing that bias exists isn’t enough –  action is needed to level the playing field. The UWF, therefore, serves to advocate and address needs for a gender-equal society and forge women’s equality.

Asking the uncomfortable questions

In her welcome address, Professor Puleng LenkaBula, Principal and Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Unisa, noted that this year marks the 27th anniversary of the historic Fourth World Conference on Women - Action for Equality, Development and Peace, which adopted the Beijing Declaration and a platform for action. She said: “I know that it is easy to fall into the mundane technicalities of demanding accountability for the outcomes of the commitments made by the world and various governments and decision-makers on issues of women. I would like to suggest that as much as the demand for accountability for the state, resources, and state or governance infrastructures are important and necessary, I also believe that we should, as universities, ask the uncomfortable questions.”

LenkaBula said that also worth noting is that this year marks the second year since the onset of Covid-19. She asserted that the pandemic has reminded us of our vulnerabilities and inadequacies at an individual, collective, institutional, and national level. “As usual,” she added, “women and girls found themselves at the bottom of the food chain. And now once again with the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the world is at a precipice of yet another barbaric collective religious war that threatens the very edifice of our world.” LenkaBula stressed that once again, women and girl children remain on the receiving end as they are the only social group that becomes the greatest casualty of war.

“As we all know,” she continued, “decisions of war, as we have experienced, have been by men. We have to work together to redeem ourselves from these oppressions because gender equality is more than just the fight for equal pay. It speaks to the roots of injustice, not just in Africa, but throughout the world.” LenkaBula asserted that the plight of feminism or womanism is often trivialised, or when it is centralised, it is often in discussing issues of gender equity, but not necessarily in transforming lives in totality.  

Feminism is not anti-male

LenkaBula argued that there are intentional efforts to trivialise women in society and educational spheres. “Feminism and womanism have been misconstrued and even bastardised by the idea that they are anti-male, this idea is erroneous and misplaced. Feminism and womanism in many ways depend on males’ acknowledgement of the social and institutional biases which have to be overcome,” she said. She noted that the International Women’s Day hashtag (#BreakTheBias) was thus appropriate. “We are living in times when humanity has made the greatest advances in science and technology and have improved the human condition in unimaginable ways. Indeed, unprecedented levels of development have been registered across regions, sectors, and different spheres of life. However, the very same progress has not improved the fortunes of most people of the South, including African people, and more especially the women once more,” LenkaBula argued.

Taking control of narratives

Dr Emma Dunlop-Bennett, High Commissioner of New Zealand to South Africa, agreed with LenkaBula, adding further that for women to break the bias, it is important that they begin taking ownership of defining narratives about themselves as women. She said: “Narratives help shape our perceptions, ideas, beliefs, which over time, become accepted as truth.” Dunlop-Bennet argued that the power of narratives is that they can completely change perceptions of people and communities. “So many labels are thrown at us as women, labels such as vulnerable, disengaged, unable, ill-equipped and many more, these are also labels and narratives that dominate the media.” She added: “That is why we must create our narrative, the counter-narrative, because, in the absence of doing so, this mainstream narrative about us will prevail.”

Dunlop-Bennet continued: “Thinking about this at an individual level, I’ve reflected on my narrative over the past 20 odd years that I’ve been working on drawing on the strength of my faith, my family and my culture. I’ve become very intentional about crafting and socialising my narrative, using it to navigate my journey, as a woman, as a mother, as a daughter, as a sister, as a leader, but also, what I term, kind of a house field leader, which means I also lead from behind.”

Bennett encouraged women to circle the question of owning their narratives and to reflect on the narratives they tell themselves as well as to others because failing to do so is to leave the power in others’ hands. She said: “It is important that every one of us knows deep down in our souls that we are competent, we have what it takes, and that we are equipped with everything that we need to deliver on the dreams that are placed within us. We as women must know that we are brilliant, and it is our brilliance that gives us the edge. I use the word brilliant intentionally because we have been taught to be humble and not to promote ourselves.”  

In closing, LenkaBula said: “The quest for gender equality and sustainability is about the restoration of the full humanity and dignity of women. It is about personhood and citizenship in the private and in the public domain. It is about placing the agenda of women to face the intersections of class and race and ecological development. We should always strive to discipline the overly attended systems that do not respect the dignity of women.”

*By Tshimangadzo Mphaphuli, Senior Journalist, Department of Institutional Advancement