Agenda Feminist Media and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) are jointly hosting a feminist dialogue on 6th June 2013 from 10.45am-1pm to address the question of how women’s leadership has contributed to the advancing of women’s feminist agenda for social equality as we approach the first 20 years of the post-apartheid democracy. The dialogue will be held via video conference facility at the HSRC in Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town.
Public Protector, Advocate Thuli Madonsela has been invited to open the panel discussion. The panelists include Prof Jane Rarieya (HSRC) who will speak on “Women’s representation in leadership: Building parity and enabling environments”,
Prof Amanda Gouws (University of Stellenbosch, Commission for Gender Equality) “What constitutes a feminist approach” and Fatima Shabodien (ActionAid South Africa) “Supporting and holding women leaders to account: Linkages with issues and activism from below”. The discussion will be facilitated by Joy Watson, (Parliament RSA).
Janine Hicks, chairperson of Agenda Feminist Media said: “As we approach the 20 years landmark of a non-racial and non-sexist post-apartheid democracy, it is timely to critically examine women’s achievements in entering leadership positions within the public and private sectors and the impact women’s leadership has had in transforming institutions and their efficacy.“
The panel discussion will engage with what the major obstacles are for women who enter and engage previously male-dominated terrains and what interventions are required to address the slow pace of change in the workplace for women raised in the recently released Employment Equity Commission report. A further question that will be addressed during the panel discussion is what is the transformative outcome of women’s representation in leadership and how has it contributed to meeting feminist goals for greater social and gender equality and justice for the most vulnerable. Lastly, it will also engage the problem of how we ensure women in leadership remain connected and accountable and how women can build a women’s movement that integrates top down and grassroots mobilisation to advance an agenda for gender equality.
Agenda Feminist Media is a Durban-based feminist initiative that publishes a feminist journal and also produces podcasts for community radio broadcast to empower women for gender equality. Agenda holds forums for debate on issues of collective concern to women and that advance the agenda for gender equality, thereby breaking down the walls of silence on issues which affect us.
For more information contact:
Lou Haysom (Agenda Managing Editor) 031-304 7001
RSVP:
Cape Town HSRC – Jean Witten: 021 4668004
12th Floor Plein Park Building
Plein Street, Cape Town
Pretoria HSRC – Arlene Grossberg: 012 302 2811
HSRC Video Conference, 1st Floor HSRC Library,
134 Pretorius Street, Pretoria
Durban HSRC – Rhidwaan Khan: 031 242 5400
First Floor HSRC, Boardroom,
750 Francois Road, Ntuthuko Junction,
Pods 5 and 6, Cato Manor, Durban