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- As we celebrate Women's Day, there are certain freedoms South African women wish they had.
- Brutal Fruit Spritzer has created SheBeen in Soweto, where women can enjoy themselves freely.
- Poet and activist Lebo Mashile tells us the work of transforming our understanding of masculinity, gender, and gender-based violence is very intimate.
As we celebrate Women's Day, it is worth noting that there are certain freedoms South African women wish they had - ordinary things, such as going out to party and not worrying that your drink will be spiked or that an e-hailing driver might abduct you, or wearing whatever you want without the fear of rape.
Poet and activist Lebo Mashile tells us that her wishes for South African women are simple but complicated.
"I wish for freedom of movement. I wish for us to be able to walk around at night. I wish we knew that our physical safety and integrity are guaranteed."
Mashile was speaking at the launch of Brutal Fruit Spritzer's SheBeen. Over the last three months, a well-known establishment in Soweto, known as RockerFella, was transformed into SheBeen to create a space for women to enjoy themselves without having to worry about their drinks being spiked or being victimised in bathrooms.
READ MORE | Drink spiking is rife - 'Never accept a drink from a stranger or leave your drink unattended'
Such initiatives are important to advance sustainable change in society, she says.
"The work of transforming our understanding of masculinity, our understanding of gender, understanding of gender-based violence - a lot of that work is very intimate work. It's the work of understanding concepts like consent. Parents need to think about how they teach children about consent. How do we teach an adult who has grown up with particular ideas around masculinity, violent ideas around masculinity, about consent?"
These are conversations that need to be loud and consistent and not only zoomed in to during Women's Month, she adds. But Mashile, who was one of the first people in the country who was shunned for being a feminist more than 20 years ago, takes comfort in the fact that there are conversations on women's rights, patriarchy, misogyny and all the other oppressive acts women were previously not allowed to talk about.
"We are very fortunate to come from a legacy of truly formidable women activists and thinkers. If it was not for the groundwork done by those women who came before us, we wouldn't have the Constitution that we have, you know, that enshrines freedom from discrimination on the basis of gender, on the basis of sexual orientation. Those are feminist principles. Men didn't bring those principles into the Constitution. So we are able to enjoy these freedoms."
READ MORE | Kelly Rowland on her love for South African women: 'They've given me heart and soul'
DEFINING WHO YOU ARE
We live in an ever-changing society, where defining oneself is not seamless, Mashile says.
She adds:
"It's the subtle violence of patriarchy that is so deeply ingrained in us that we will stop ourselves from doing what we are here to do on Earth because we're scared of what other people think."
The newly revamped SheBeen has sufficient lighting inside and outside, working CCTV cameras, and visible personnel to maintain order and decorum.
In addition, the facilities must have visible and accessible communication material that promotes responsible drinking, clean basins for handwashing in the restrooms, as well as demarcated, fully functional, well-lit, and clearly marked bathrooms for men and women.
