Empower the Women! Empower the Nation!

Author(s): Salome Francis

Source: Agenda: Empowering Women for Gender Equity, No. 11, Sexual Politics (1991), pp.
33-35
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. on behalf of Agenda Feminist Media
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4547973
Accessed: 05-06-2019 00:50 UTC

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide
range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and
facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at
https://about.jstor.org/terms

Agenda Feminist Media, Taylor & Francis, Ltd. are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize,
preserve and extend access to Agenda: Empowering Women for Gender Equity

This content downloaded from 195.43.22.135 on Wed, 05 Jun 2019 00:50:13 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 BRIEFING

men have reached. This is almost the

same as two people in a race. You
Empower the cannot allow one person to start the
race first, and then say you are giving
Women! Empower both people equal opportunities. The
the Nation! second person has to catch up and
when they are both together, then the
Salome Francis
race can begin. At the same time, we
Two thirds of
as women must make sure that we the work in
choose leaders who are capable of the world is
African Democratic
leading others. We cannot take done by
Teacher's Union (SADTU) leaders just because they are women, women, yet
This was Conference
Gender the theme ofheld
a South
in if they are not capable of doing the
only one tenth
Durban from 5 to 7 July this year. job.
Delegates from 15 SADTU regions Teachers are in a very good of the wealth
gathered at the University of Natal, position to destroy sexism. We can of the world is
where the main address was make sure that girls get the same owned by
delivered by Phumsile Ngcuka. opportunities as boys. We must not women. There
treat girls as inferior. We must make
Phumsite told an eager audience, that
two thirds of the work in the world is sure that all forms of sexism are
was obviously
done by women, yet only one tenth oferadicated. The language used in
something
the wealth of the world is owned by classrooms must change. Girls must wrong here.
women. There was obviously be allowed to take other subjects, like
something wrong here. Liberation of handicrafts, if they want to. Children
women is a problem that must be should also be taught HERSTORY -
addressed by both men and women,that is, History about women who
and not only by women. Society hashave been good role models and
denied women opportunities, contributed to society. Children learn
especially in education. Girls have only about great men, and they begin
learnt to do domestic duties, like to think that women have not played
needlework and domestic science. leading roles.
mMost girls who drop out of school do Sabina Zarira Kambauwa, a
so within the first five years", said member of the Zimbabwe Teachers
Phumsile. This has resulted in high Association addressed the
levels of illiteracy amongst women. Conference on Friday night. Sabina
"Sexism does not only affect told delegates that they should not
women. Men aiso have a problem, " forget how important it was to be a
said Phumsile. For example, a man mother. Mothers have a job in
who wants to be a nurse has just asteaching the nation, she said. This
big a problem as a woman who wants does not mean that they are less
to be a bus driver. Young children important than men. It means that
need to realise that stereotypes are they influence how children learn. If
not healthy. Gender issues need to women
be teach children not to have
addressed by both men and women. sexist values, those children will grow
Scrapping laws that promote up to be better adults. Sabina's input
sexism does not guarantee that started an interesting debate amongst
sexism will stop. Women have to bethe delegates.
helped to reach the same levels that The President of SADTU,

Empower the Women Agenda 33

This content downloaded from 195.43.22.135 on Wed, 05 Jun 2019 00:50:13 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 BRIEFING
Shepherd Mdladlana, opened the
Conference. He told delegates that the
Women must Conference was the beginning of
be assertive, SADTU's programme to defend and
advance women's rights against
active
oppression. SADTU had an obligation
participants to make sure that the voice of women
in shaping is heard. Women teachers should
their own come out strongly and say 'enough is addressed by Lynette Faragher and
destiny. enough'I They should not take 'no' for Vivienne Careise. Lynette sketched
an answer. Women should realise that
it is important to be part of the
decision-making body and should
therefore improve their level of
34 Agenda Empower the Women
This content downloaded from 195.43.22.135 on Wed, 05 Jun 2019 00:50:13 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
participation in the Union. Women
must be assertive, active participants
in shaping their own destiny.
Shepherd reminded delegates that the
oppressed liberate themselves, so
women have to actively and
consciously free themselves.
The second session was
an interesting picture of a SADTU
woman teacher as a woman
oppressed and exploited but bursting
with power, that would empower the
nation and transform education.
Vivienne Careise emphasised the fact
that each and every SADTU member
should be involved in the
empowerment of women in education.
Workshop sessions and group
discussion highlighted the following:
a. SADTU should encourage a
movement away from curricula which
promote sexism,
b. men should be involved in Junior
Primary teaching,
c. children are exposed to gender
stereotyping from an early age,
d. teachers should educate parents on
gender issues,
e. material promoting non-sexism
should be distributed,
f. representation of women at ail
levels of the Union should be ensured,
g. non-sexist career guidance must be
taught,
h. people's education should be non-
sexist, non-racial and non-elitist.
Georgina Baiden, Africa's first
and only woman president of a
teacher's association (Ghana National
Association of Teachers) told the
Conference that women faced the
same problems all over the world. The
first teacher and trainer of a child,
however, is a woman. These children
grow up to form a nation with all the
 BRIEFING

basic training given Resolutions

by a woman. deferred
Because of a time shortage,
Denying women opportunities means the
the same as retardingfollowing
theresolutions
mental would be taken
growth of a nation. back to branches forquoted
Georgina discussion:
Kwegyir Aggrey who 1. Paid
said:maternity
"If leave
you for all women
educate a man, youteachers.
educate an
2. A
individual, but it you reasonable period
educate a of paid
woman, you educate paternity leave for all fathers.
a nation".
3. Time off
Georgina told delegates thatfor allthey
nursing mothers to
should fight sexism nurse
in their
the babies.
same way
4. Housing subsidies
that they had come together to for all female
fight
educators. fight to
apartheid. Women should
liberate themselves and become
5. Parity in salaries between all male
actively involved in matters affecting and female teachers, immediately.
education, the child and society. "Let 6. A living wage for all educators.
the child continue to be the centre of 7. Imbalances in respect of promotion
education", she said. Teach and between male and female teachers to
touch the future." be redressed immediately.
8. Demand for Day Care Centres/
Resolutions taken Nurseries and Pre-schools to be built
Resolutions taken at the Conference adjacent to each educational
were that: institution so that educators could
a. A gender committee would be have access to their infants when
formed at all levels: branch, regional ever the need arises.
and national. 9. School curricula must be
b. SADTU would conduct an restructured to eradicate teaching that
investigation into the conditions of promotes gender stereotyping. ?
service pertaining to women teachers.

Old, still young,

Wasted too soon,
Child-woman full with child
At young age sixteen;
Hand supporting waist,
Teeth gritted in pain
she labours down the street:
Child-woman full with child
At young age sixteen.

Memoye Ogu

Agenda 35

This content downloaded from 195.43.22.135 on Wed, 05 Jun 2019 00:50:13 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms