Women hold the power in this country, but we need to claim it
“The ballot box is the only place where women are truly equal”
This weekend I was watching a documentary about Gloria Allred on Netflix. This famous or notorious (depending on who you listen to) lawyer had spent her life fighting for human rights and, in particular, women’s rights and was best known as a major driving force in exposing the sexual abuses of Bill Crosby.
It’s a powerful documentary about a powerful woman, but when she said, “The ballot box is the only place where women are truly equal”, it really made me reflect on how powerful these words are.
In the privacy of the voting booth, in the anonymity of the vote we cast, there is a glorious (and rare) equality for women … and there is power.
Yet, as women, we rarely claim it as a collective. We vote as individuals and I can’t think of one occasion post-1994 where women- as a collective- decided to make certain demands from the candidates and their parties.
If we, the women of South Africa, stand together we can change the face of politics completely. According to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), 55% of registered voters are female. In every province, women outnumber men significantly in terms of registration.
Historically there has also been a higher female turnout on election day, which means significantly more women than men actually cast their votes. In the 2019 elections, for example, over 2.5 million more women than men voted.
That is a lot of votes.
Yet, despite this significant power at the ballot box, women in this country live in constant fear of gender-based violence. Women are far more affected than men by lack of social services, childcare facilities, proper medical services, equal access to education as well as poverty in general. Women are also still paid less than men for the same work.
Politicians pay a lot of lip service to women’s rights and the issues that affect us, but it is a different story when it comes to actually implementing programmes, spending money and making laws for the benefit of women.
So why are we accepting it?
Throughout history and around the world there are amazing examples of women securing massive political and social change when they unite. In 1976 tens of thousands of women across the religious divide marched for peace in Northern Ireland. This is generally regarded as a turning point in the centuries of violent Troubles which ultimately resulted in the signing of the Good Friday peace agreement. Similarly, in 2003 Liberian women united across ethnic and religious divides and held weekly rallies and sit-ins. This eventually forced the warring parties to the table and an end to the brutal civil war.
After Donald Trump’s election in 2017, an estimated 5 million women marched across the country. This eventually resulted in historic numbers of women running (and being elected) for office in America.
Women around the world have also embarked on strike action – both in and outside the home to force social and political change. In 1970 women across America went on strike in protest against ongoing gender discrimination.
In October 1975, Icelandic women organized a nationwide strike to demand gender equality. It brought the country to a standstill – which of course showed the importance of women in the economy. It also led to the adoption of a gender equality law the next year.
A similar protest movement continues to advocate for change in Poland. In 2016 the All-Poland Women’s Strike (or OSK) led to massive protests against parliamentary rejection of a bill called “Save the Women”. Ongoing protests have focussed on gender inequality and more recently on the tightening of the abortion laws.
Let there be no doubt, if all of the women in South Africa went on strike, the economy would collapse – not to talk about the chaos that would erupt in households.
Women have enormous power collectively, but we need to claim it – especially at the ballot box.
As we head towards local government elections it is time for women to make their voices heard. With COVID, collective action through - for example - marches are difficult, but we can still make a difference.
Here are a few ideas:
When candidates come around to canvass for votes, challenge them to explain their personal views (as well as the party they represent) on gender-based violence. Ask them also about their positions on issues that affect women in particular – such as childcare, lights at communal toilets, the fact that there are still communal toilets, safe transport, etc. Ask what they would concretely do if they get elected and more importantly, insist on timeframes. Then let them know that they will be held accountable in the future for those promises.
Imagine if every candidate got challenged in this manner in every single house, night after night? It would scare the living daylights out of them.
Women should go further though. They should challenge candidates on their personal value systems. It is time that we insist that we get candidates whose lives demonstrate a commitment to strong moral values in general and gender equality in particular. If there are, for example, credible suggestions (as there so often are) about a candidates’ tendency to violence or oppression of their partners, DO NOT VOTE for them. Or, if they are known to be dishonest, DO NOT VOTE for them.
Women who are actively involved in their parties should also insist that these candidates aren’t nominated as candidates.
This applies equally to all candidates – irrespective of their gender. I strongly believe that a world where more women are in power would be a kinder and more caring world. However, many female politicians are as dishonest and uncaring as their male counterparts.
While women are still treated as second-class citizens, we should forget about party loyalty, because if we wait for the many corrupt and sexist politicians who are currently in power to bring about change, we will wait forever.
I think it is time for a new women’s movement – a movement that crosses racial, religious, and class divisions. A movement that aims to get politicians of integrity and who truly ascribes to gender equality. After all, it is at the ballot box where we are truly equal and hold enormous power in terms of collective numbers.