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Aligning African values with modern gender equality perspectives

19 September 2023 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Unsplash

As we reflect on the significance of Women's Month, which occurred last month, it is worth noting that the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office (GEADO) at the University of the Free State (UFS) organised a thought-provoking seminar titled, "Bridging the gap: Exploring the Intersection of Traditional African values and Modern Perspectives in Achieving Gender Equality." This event, featuring distinguished guest speakers Prof Nokuzola Mndende and Dr Munyaradzi Mushonga, delved into the historical context of traditional African values and their impact on gender roles and norms. Their primary objective was to discern strategies for fostering dialogue, understanding, and collaboration between traditional and modern stakeholders, all in the noble pursuit of advancing gender equality in Africa.

Tradition versus Modernity

Prof Nokuzola Mndende, an adjunct professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Nelson Mandela University, as well as the President of We Come Back Spirituality and Founder of Icamagu Heritage Institute, emphasised the importance of African scholars embracing their roots. She stated, "It is important that young African scholars must be bold and change direction and start from home using African tools. In their endeavour to decoloniality, they must not forget their past." She also stressed the need to discard Western theories and spectacles that have been imposed, highlighting the scarcity of literature that portrays the positive aspects of African customs.

Dr Mushonga, the Programme Director for Africa Studies at the UFS Centre for Gender and Africa Studies, drew attention to the impact of modernity on a global scale. He referred to the 1500s when the world was pluricentric, as opposed to the current Eurocentric world order. Dr Mushonga cautioned against the seductive allure of modernity, which tends to cast African traditional perspectives as regressive while promoting Eurocentric ones as progressive.

Fostering equality in Africa

Siyanda Magayana, Senior Officer at the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office, shed light on the webinar's purpose. She explained, "the webinar intended to critically engage whether there is a gap between African traditional perspectives and values of gender equality against modern perspectives. In addition, we wanted to examine the emergence of modern perspectives and their influence in challenging gender inequality in an African context." She further highlighted the need for African institutions to adopt context-specific approaches to gender equality, rather than relying on Eurocentric models.

Magayana also echoed Prof Mndende's preference for the term "gender equity" over "gender equality," as the latter can inadvertently reinforce a perception of male superiority. Magayana emphasised that achieving gender equity in African contexts should deviate from Eurocentric perspectives, considering the unique histories, understandings, and people in the Global South.

Breaking the glass ceiling

As a prelude to the seminar, GEADO also hosted a webinar in honour of Women’s Month titled "Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Higher Education.” This webinar shed light on the unique challenges women face in academia, addressing implicit biases, stereotypes, and gender-based discrimination. It provided a platform for women to share their triumphs and experiences. Together, these initiatives propel us towards a future marked by diverse leadership and empowered strategies, ultimately promoting gender equality on the continent.

News Archive

Art on Disasters to heal communities

2014-05-27

Fadzai Nyamusamba showing interest in the work: "Working on fire". This artwork was painted and donated by Mariette Pretorius, a professional artist from Bloemfontein. This art piece will be displayed at the South African National Disaster Management Centre in Pretoria.
Photo: Supplied

The Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (DiMTEC) at our university, recently launched its Art on Disasters initiative at the Gallery on Leviseur in Bloemfontein.

Disasters have a devastating effect on societies and are accompanied by fear, uncertainties and often post-traumatic stress disorders. The creative arts have the ability to comfort survivors and those affected by tragedy. Amid disaster, art serves as a memorial, aids in the healing process and helps these communities to interpret their emotions.

This is precisely the main focus of the Art on Disasters project. It aims to develop paintings, sculptures, dramas, theatre productions, poetry and music in collaboration with artists. These productions will then be presented to communities at risk of, or affected by, disasters, to create awareness and foster healing.

Furthermore, the initiative will conduct research on art as a form of therapy and co-ordinate rehabilitation experts to assist the relevant communities. The artworks collected by the project, will be sold or auctioned to help raise funds. The proceeds will then be donated to a worthy cause as part of DiMTEC’s commitment to community service.

The project will help console and heal communities and aspire to generate greater resilience to trauma. It will also give humanitarian workers the opportunity to advocate for disaster risk reduction and offer them an opportunity for psychological debriefing after attending to affected communities.

“We will collect different categories of art related to all forms of disasters. These include paintings, photography, sculptures, poetry, music, theatre productions and short stories,” said Dr Andries Jordaan, Director of DiMTEC. “Stephanie Peters, Thomas Hart Benton, Tania Kovats and Medhi Naimi are just a few of the many artists that paint on man-made and natural disasters. They are artists that believe in art therapy as a form of self-expression, well-being and recovery,” he added.

For more information about this initiative, or to possibly contribute as an artist, please contact Olivia Kunguma from DiMTEC on +27(0)51 401 9699 or kungumao@ufs.ac.za .

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