The misconception about politically connected women

Keeping with the idea of Women's month, as South Africans we have a tendency focus our attention during this month around the rise of women in powerful positions (Theresa May, Angela Merkel, Dilma Rouseff, the rise of Hillary Clinton, the hope we’ve invested in Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma - the list is endless). The conversation always begins positively with the list of successful women who are an example of women advancing women through their own individual success, then shifts to problems with patriarchy and The African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) is usually referenced at this point as well as their role in the Jacob Zuma rape trial and their utterances that South Africa is not ready for a female president—“we are not a feminist organisation”. But what of the ordinary women...

Guest: Athambile Masola
Position: Educationalist and Columnist for Mail and Guardian