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.

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