The ethic of gender transformation in the new South Africa: an ubuntu perspective

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The ethic of gender transformation in the new
South Africa an ubuntu perspective

• By Lucinda Manda

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Preliminary research questions/thoughts

• Who ought to drive the gender transformation
  process?
• Is gender transformation in the new South Africa
  merely window dressing, or is it a response to a
  deep recognition of the valuable contribution
  women make?

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Structure of presentation

• Part one Impact of gender transformation from
  above
• Part two Impact of gender transformation from
  below.
• Part three The ethics of gender transformation
  from an ubuntu perspective

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Introduction

• The end of apartheid heralded political victory
  for black men and women.
• First step for women was to integrate gender
  issues into the legislative process.
• Success of womens efforts can be seen in Chapter
  2 of the South African constitution
• Most visible transformation is in the political
  and decision-making process

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Table 1
Country MPS Cabinet Deputy Ministers Local Government
South Africa 32.75 per cent 42.8 per cent 47.6 per cent 23 per cent
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Transformation from above

• Procedural aspects of gender transformation have
  been institutionalized.
• The focus on gender equality has been the goal
  and objectives of an African feminist
  intelligentsia who occupied/occupy key positions
  in liberation movement.
• This is why the Executive and Legislative arms of
  government has firmly set the agenda.
• It is also why the Gender Equity Law sits
  alongside Affirmative Action Policy.
• How has this made a positive difference to the
  lives of ordinary women who are neither
  politically trained nor connected?

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Gender transformation from below

• My preliminary research suggests that a
  substantive level, gender transformation has been
  slow.
• For example, the Academy/Institutions of higher
  learning.
• The slow pace of acceleration for black female
  academics is because of the lingering elements of
  racism and sexism
• The cultural ethos of, particularly, many
  historically White universities has not changed
  to accommodate black scholars, especially black
  female scholars
• Even where black female scholars exist, they tend
  to occupy lower level positions.
• In this sense, the gender transformation of
  society is not complete.

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The way forward an ubuntu perspective

• The new South Africa needs practical tools that
  aid in engendering gender transformation that is
  humanist.
• Principles such as equality, justice and fairness
  ought to be accompanied by an awareness of our
  interdependence and need for each other.
• Hence the questions asked are how can ubuntu be
  applied to ethically engender gender
  transformation? In other words, what values does
  ubuntu offer us in our quest to meaningfully
  transform society?

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Defining ubuntu

• Ubuntu means humanness based on values of caring,
  sharing, respect, compassion, equality,
  reciprocity, and interdependence.
• It is a relational ethic umuntu ngamuntu
  ngabantu I am, because we are.
• Ubuntu puts emphasis on treating each and every
  persons equally, fairly and in a just manner.
• Most importantly, ubuntu is a way of life.
• If we are to substantively engender gender
  transformation in the new South Africa, we need
  to couple ethical principles of justice, fairness
  and equality with an ethical consciousness that
  gives primacy to the needs of others.
• A relational ethic such as ubuntu, recognizes the
  unique worth, and valuable contribution women
  offer society, which are complementary to the
  contribution men make.
• Any genuine attempt of gender transformation that
  goes beyond the procedural level ought to be
  guided by ubuntu.

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Conclusion

• 14 years after democracy South Africa has
  certainly made progress in the area of empowering
  women on the political front, with a few visible
  scatterings of empowered women on the business
  front.
• However, much more needs to be done for women who
  are not, for instance, politically connected, or
  educated and live on the margins of society.
• In this regard, the process of gender
  transformation is not complete.
• It can only be assisted if it is driven from
  above and below and is based on ubuntu.
• Why? Ubuntu is a useful and practical tool to
  apply, because it is a catch-phrase that can be
  invoked by both government and ordinary citizens.
• It is something that all South Africans, black
  and white, pride themselves of possessing in one
  way or another.

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• Thank you.