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25 September 2024
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Story Jacky Tshokwe
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Photo Supplied
Prof Louise Cilliers, University of the Free State (UFS) research fellow and former head of the Department of Classical Studies.
Prof Louise Cilliers, one of our esteemed research fellows and former head of the Department of Classical Studies, has been awarded the prestigious 2024 UJ Translation Prize. Prof Cilliers received this accolade for her exceptional Afrikaans translation of the renowned Greek poet Konstantinos Kavafis' poetry collection, Van Alexandrië na Ithaka, published by Naledi.
Konstantinos Kavafis (1863-1933) is considered one of the most important literary figures in modern Greek poetry, known for his reflective and often philosophical poems that explore themes of history, identity, and human experience. In Van Alexandrië na Ithaka, Prof Cilliers brings the essence of Kavafis’ work to Afrikaans readers, carefully preserving the poet’s rich symbolism, historical depth, and emotional nuances.
Prof Cilliers has had a distinguished academic career, having served as head of the Department of Classical Studies. Her expertise in classical languages and literature, coupled with her passion for translation, made her an instrumental figure in making classical texts more accessible to a broader audience. This award is not only a testament to her scholarly achievements, but also to her dedication to the cultural and literary enrichment of the Afrikaans language.
The UJ Prize for Translation honours outstanding translations of literary works into any of South Africa’s official languages. Prof Cilliers' recognition continues the department's proud tradition of excellence in classical scholarship and language studies.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Prof Cilliers for this remarkable achievement and are excited to celebrate her continued contributions to the field of classical studies and translation.
About the UJ Translation Prize
The University of Johannesburg Translation Prize celebrates the best translations of literary works into any of South Africa’s official languages. It aims to promote high standards of literary translation and showcase the importance of bringing international literary voices into the local context through translation.
Societal perceptions of women in politics in Cameroon must change
2017-08-30
Prof Lilian Lem Atanga presented a lecture,
Gender, Discourse and Cognition and Implications on
Political Participation, as part of the First Humanities
and Gendered Worlds Lecture 2017.
Photo: Charl Devenish
Women have not internalised the fact that they can participate on an equal footing in politics with men. This is one of the conclusions made by Prof Lilian Lem Atanga in a study of the political participation of women in Cameroon.
“There still is a strong belief that women can’t deliver the goods (in areas such as politics),” Prof Atanga said. According to her, stereotypes were still entrenched in Africa and a lot had to be done to change societal perceptions of the role of women in politics.
Poor representation of women in politics
Prof Atanga, an associate professor at the University of Bamenda in Cameroon, was guest speaker at the First Humanities and Gendered Worlds Lecture 2017. The lecture was hosted by the Faculty of Humanities and the Centre for Africa Studies (CAS) at the University of the Free State (UFS) in the Equitas Auditorium, Bloemfontein Campus, on 3 August 2017. The title of the research fellow’s lecture at the CAS lecture was Gender, Discourse and Cognition and Implications on Political Participation.
She noted that although there had been a marked increase in the political participation of women in Cameroon, it still was insufficient. Of the 24 million people in the country, 52% were women but only 20% of the senators and 31% of parliamentarians were women.
Gender-segregated roles affect participation
And there are many reasons for this. “A lot more women still believe in gender-segregated roles and this affects their political participation.” Many men also don’t approve of women’s political participation.
In her study Prof Atanga found that stereotypes were also emphasised in the way the media in Cameroon reported on the roles of women.