Women leaders from Christian, Islamic, Jewish, Hindu religions and African beliefs are championing the move to have equal sitting at the table with their male counterparts.
Time for orthodox practices that demean women are over. This is the stern overall message that came out of a recent virtual engagement, which was organised by the Speaker of Council, Cllr Nonceba Molwele.
The webinar, which attracted some viewers from as far as Ghana and Ireland, was held as part of the Heritage Month Series on Wednesday, 23 September 2020.
“It’s time for women’s voices to be heard in the religious circles and in our communities. Women must have equal participation in religion, culture and traditional practices. They must get respect from the society,” said Gabriella Nechama Farber.
Farber said growing up under the Jewish home and community, she has always known the role religion plays in society is to improve the lives of communities. “Religion is always that guiding force that guide us in terms of where we must turn in life,” she added.
Councillor Molwele asked what has been the role and response from the religious and traditional communities at the time when women suffer from oppression.
“Some of the cultural and religious practices negatively affect women. These include, among others, female genital mutilation, forced marriages, preference of boy children over girls, and virginity testing for girls and not for boys. In some religions, women are not allowed to show their bodies in public other than to their husbands. The human rights cannot be fully attained when half of the world’s population is women and they are the ones who suffer the most,” said Cllr Molwele.
Pastor Mamorwa Gololo, who is the secretary of the Johannesburg Faith-Based Organisation, shared her own story about how her Christian belief and culture cost friction with her relatives.
“Culture is not a bad thing, but it’s the way it’s practice that people misrepresent it. When a women’s husband passes on, women and not men are required to sit on the floor to mourn. But in reality no one can interpret where this practice comes from?
“When my husband passed on, I refused to sit on the mattress on the floor and this caused a rift with my relatives. This is because my husband and I had created our own culture. It’s unfortunate that it’s women who bear the burden not men,” said Gololo.
Contralesa’s provincial chairperson, Manene Tabane, concurred and said because of the lack of understanding and education, many people have adopted foreign practices and made them their culture.
“One cannot deny patriarchy in our custom, but one must first know the purpose behind any cultural practice. The wearing of black clothes by women mourning was first introduced by the coloniser. It was used during the war to identify women who’ve lost their husbands from the rest,” said Tabane.
Tabane warned that although times require culture, tradition and custom to change, the good that comes with it must be guarded.
Aarti Panday said although the fundamental basis of all religions are for people to live in a harmonious world, there were still many practices in Hindu religion that discriminate against women such as how widowed women are treated.
Razia Mohamed, a Muslim life coach, said women should be allowed to have a voice, prosper and have a place in society.
Busi Khumalo, the chairperson of the Rastafarian Faith Council of SA, said women from different cultures, beliefs, religions and background must unite to fight discrimination within their spaces.
