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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

UFS keeps the power on

2015-06-24

At a recent Emergency Power Indaba held on the Bloemfontein Campus, support structures at the university met to discuss the Business Continuity Intervention Plan to manage load shedding on the three campuses of the UFS.

Currently, 35 generators serving 55 of the buildings have already been installed as a back-up power supply on the three campuses of the university. According to Anton Calitz, Electrical Engineer at the UFS, the running cost to produce a kWh of electricity with a diesel generator amounts to approximately three times the cost at which the UFS buys electricity from Centlec.

Planned additional generators will attract in excess of R4 million in operating costs per year. For 2015, the UFS senior leadership approved R11 million, spread over the three campuses. Remaining requirements will be spread out over the next three years. University Estates is also looking at renewable energy sources.

On the Bloemfontein Campus, 26 generators serving forty-one buildings are in operation. On South Campus, two generators were installed at the new Education Building and at the ICT Server Room. Lecture halls, the Arena, the Administration Building, and the library will be added later in 2015. Eight generators serving 12 buildings are in operation on the Qwaqwa Campus. In 2015, the Humanities Building, Lecture Halls and the heat pump room will also be equipped with generators.

Most buildings will be supplied only with partial emergency power. In rare cases, entire buildings will be supplied because the cost of connecting is lower than re-wiring for partial demand. According to Nico Janse van Rensburg, Senior Director at University Estates, emergency power will be limited to lighting and power points only. No allowances will be made for air-conditioning.

“Most area lighting will also be connected to emergency power,” he said.

Where spare capacity is available on existing emergency power generators, requests received for additional connections will be added, where possible, within the guidelines. The following spaces will receive preference:
- Lecture halls with the lights, data projectors, and computers running
- Laboratories for practical academic work and sensitive research projects
- Academic research equipment that is sensitive to interruptions
- Buildings hosting regular events

According to Janse van Rensburg, all further needs will be investigated. Staff can forward all emergency power supply needs to Anton Calitz at calitzja@ufs.ac.za

Staff and students can also manage load shedding in the following ways:

1. Carry a small torch with you at all times, in case you are on a stairwell or other dark area when the lights go out. You can also use the flashlight app on your phone. Download it before any load shedding occurs. This can come in handy if the lights go out suddenly, and you cannot find a flashlight. Load-shedding after dark imposes even more pressure on our Campus Security staff. We can assist them with our vigilance and preparedness by carrying portable lights with us at all times and by assisting colleagues.
2. Candles pose a serious safety risk. Rather use battery- or solar-powered lights during load shedding.
3. Ensure that your vehicle always has fuel in the tank, because petrol stations cannot pump fuel during power outages.
4. Ensure that you have enough cash, because ATMs cannot operate without electricity.
5. The UFS Sasol Library has study venues available which students can use during load shedding.
6. When arranging events which are highly dependent on power supply, especially at night, organisers should consult the load-shedding schedule before determining dates and preferably also make back-up arrangements. If generators are a necessity, the financial impact should be taken into consideration.

The senior leadership also approved a list of buildings to be equipped with emergency power supplies.

More about load shedding at the UFS:
Getting out of the dark
More information, guidelines and contact information

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