Thursday, April 18, 2024
Kristin Palitza interviews NOKUTHULA MAGUDULELA, executive director, Agenda Feminist Media
Secondly, women have successfully broken into the economic sector. There are opportunities and spaces for women to actively participate and contribute towards economic growth. We have started to see more women moving into leadership positions.
And thirdly, the rise in male feminists and men’s organisations that support gender equality and uphold women’s rights. Despite the fact that we live a patriarchal society, it is very encouraging to know that men are moving away from just being ‘bystanders’ to becoming champions of women’s rights. We need to acknowledge and applaud initiatives and activism by men. The existence and impact of organisations, such as Sonke Gender Justice or Men’s Forum, are testimony to this.
IPS: There also remain many challenges. What are the key obstacles to gender equality? NM: Failure to translate what is on paper into reality is our main obstacle. Lack of political will to implement, monitor and enforce policies and legislation is our downfall. As long as we still have a huge gap between the rich and the poor, we are still far from attaining gender equality. Women are in many ways bearing the brunt of the existing poverty and the HIV and AIDS scourge. As long as these issues are not addressed adequately, women will always remain in perpetual oppression and never reap the fruits of our democracy.
IPS: What role should government play in empowering women? NM: Over and above the existing legal frameworks, the South African government says it subscribes to the principle of ‘batho pele’ [‘people first’] in terms of how it should render its services. If politicians and public servants would show some integrity by implementing what they have put on paper, it would make a very big difference to people’s daily lives. Putting people first, particularly the needs of the poor, addressing unemployment and poverty, reducing of HIV infection rates, will alleviate a lot of social ills that render women vulnerable and marginalised. Our government has an obligation to deliver on this and it must be held accountable.
IPS: What should women’s rights organisations focus on within the next decade? NM: Firstly, strengthening advocacy and lobbying. Taking into account that women will not win this battle alone, we will need more men to take part in the struggle for gender equality. There will be nothing better than men and women coming together to create a harmonious environment for all of us.
Secondly, focusing on raising awareness and capacitating at community and grassroots level, the re-socialisation of gender roles in a manner that puts boys and girls on the same par. Because childhood is when the seed of gender-based violence is planted, when the 'power scale' begins to tilt.
IPS: One of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is to achieve gender equality by 2015. How likely is South Africa to achieve this goal? NM: There is still a lot that needs to be done. I doubt that we can say we have ‘arrived’ by 2015. But I believe that our commitment and political will as well as the appropriate distribution of resources that we have at our disposal are likely see us scratching the surface by 2015.
IPS: How can South Africa work against the feminisation of poverty? NM: By addressing key socio-economic issues. For example, by creating more employment opportunities, through poverty alleviation programmes, a vigorous strategy and action plan for combating HIV and AIDS, enforcement of compulsory basic education for every child, both boys and girls, so that they are equally empowered, by creating an enabling environment and space for girls and women to get into the scarce skills industry.
One other critical issue that exacerbates feminisation of poverty, but remains a 'sacred cow', is that our men are not held responsible for fathering children. Every child that is born has a father somewhere, but men often disappear from their children’s lives and refuse to take responsibility or play an active father role.