When I read that Minister Angie Motshekga denied that the ANC Women’s League was a “feminist organisation” I want to send her my favourite extract from Caitlin Moran’s book How to Be a Woman:
We need to reclaim the word ‘feminism’. We need the word ‘feminism’ back real bad. When statistics come in saying that only 29% of American women would describe themselves as feminist – and only 42% of British women – I used to think, What do you think feminism IS, ladies? What part of ‘liberation for women’ is not for you? Is it freedom to vote? The right not to be owned by the man you marry? The campaign for equal pay? ‘Vogue’ by Madonna? Jeans? Did all that good shit GET ON YOUR NERVES? Or were you just DRUNK AT THE TIME OF THE SURVEY?
Then she can print it out and stick it next to her desk – along with a reminder to publish Minimum Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure by 15 May 2013.
*Updated*
There have been some great responses to Angie Motshekga’s comments. Two videos in particular have caught my attention.
The first was sent to me a by colleague. It is a music video made about Alice Paul and the suffrage movement in the United States of America. They have used Lady Gaga’s song Bad Romance to chronicle the movement’s activism and Alice Paul’s courageous, life-long struggle for women’s rights and liberation.
It baffles me that Angie Motshekga would want to distance herself and the ANC Women’s League from “feminist organisations”. Why would she distance herself from courageous, selfless and inspirational women who sacrificed their liberty and, in some cases, lives to achieve liberation for all women?
The second video was posted on Twitter and Facebook by the blog Feminists SA. In the video Mandy Nettifee performs For Young Women Who Don’t Consider Themselves Feminists (The Last Nerve). Or, as I would like to rename it, For Angie Motshekga: Minister of Basic Education and President of the ANC Women’s League Who Doesn’t Consider Herself a Feminist (The Nerve!).
For the purpose of relevance I have edited the introduction to Mandy’s performance. I think it is quite apt.
“For [Minister Motshekga] who [doesn't] consider [herself] a feminist. [Mama], please, for the love of all that is holy and right and grandmotherly in this world, stop saying that shit out loud. It makes you sound like an idiot. It’s like giving up the first twenty rungs on the ladder to getting some respect. The ladder is like a thousand rungs tall… When you say [you] just don’t consider [the ANC Women's League] a feminist [organisation] it’s like saying: “I’m not that crazy about [South African women] having the right to vote or get an education or prosecute men who perpetrate violence against [them].”
So, please Minister Motshekga…just stop.
This is dynamite. So glad I found it (on twitter). It speaks for and to me and so many. I am so sick of women who are afraid to call themselves feminist, cutting themselves (and us all) off at the knees and not even aware that they are doing it, while continuing to take full advantage of the rights won for them by the women who came before and the women who are fighting to hold the line today.
Nettifee’s exploration of the underlying psychology of their flight from reality is brilliant: “If I exploit myself first, you can’t exploit me” rings true as the desperate hope underpinning their denial.
Also love the song (which I hadn’t previously known about). I produce a feminist show on WBAI radio. I’d love to feature this whole discussion along with the music and Nettifee’s monologue (any idea how to get in touch with her?)
Thanks for putting this all together. I’ll make sure to read more of your blog.
Thank you so much for your comment. Women need to stop thinking of feminism as a cause that has secured its victories. It has to be a constant crusade – relentless in expanding women’s freedoms and liberty.
You are more than welcome to feature the post. Please just link back to the original.
Yes, yes, yes! This also resonated with me and the spoken word clip was very touching. When I was lecturing I noticed the derision of female students in particular toward feminism. Though, as a young student while I supported a feminist ethos, but also struggled to identify with feminism. I didn’t really understand what it was, I suppose, but more importantly the representation of feminism that I had been exposed to were not something I wanted to identify with. I’ve recently been reading Angela MacRobbie’s book (The Aftermath of Feminism) which deals with contemporary young women’s rejections of feminism and general claims of post-feminism. Lately I’ve been heartened to hear many young feminist voices speaking out, mostly through new media. This encourages me and makes me feel less lonely. I think we need a re-awkening of the key principles of feminism: community and soidarity. This backlash repudiation of feminism destroys these, and this is precisely what we must fight for. So, thanks for the piece!