Communicating feminism to the community: the continuing relevance of feminism fifty years after 9 August 1956
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Date
2006
Authors
Pretorius, Engela
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of Communication Science, University of the Free State
Abstract
The history of women in South Africa is the history of their oppression due to patriarchy
- a system of domination which still persists in South Africa, and has done so since precolonial
times. However, in the case of black women, it has been justly argued that
under apartheid they suffered from the triple oppression of racism, sexism and classism
which characterises the country's history. Although opposition to patriarchy has not so
much been in evidence among black women in this country, they do indeed have a
history of strong opposition to the politicisation of race. This article traces the
historical development of feminism in this country, focusing on African feminism(s) and
its multiple manifestations. The role of feminism in the liberation struggle is then
explicated by first describing the variety and diversity of patriarchies, followed by an
exposition of the surfacing of political consciousness among women in this country. The
article concludes that 50 years after the momentous event of 9 August 1956, an active
and feminist voice in civil society is still needed due to factors such as the fact that the
struggle for gender equity has to a large extent become a state-led venture, and because
of what is perceived as a hardening of patriarchies.
Description
Keywords
History of women, South Africa, Gender equity, Black women, Oppresion of black women, Feminism
Citation
Pretorius, E. (2006). Communicating feminism to the community: the continuing relevance of feminism fifty years after 9 August 1956. Communitas, 11, 1-20.