In Solidarity: Statement by South African feminists - Caster Semenya and Gender Discrimination – the ‘elephant in the room’

We write in response to the controversy surrounding the 800 m women’s world running champion, Caster Semenya and the flurry of articles surrounding this sad saga.

Some of those championing Caster’s cause accuse those wanting to sex-test Caster of imperialism and racism (as well as sexism). Others plead for the us to wait before ‘reaching a verdict' arguing that the realities of sex testing are enormously complex
Firstly to address the issue of terminology, over which there seems to be confusion. Gender is the dominant society’s views on how women and men should look, behave, what roles they should play in society, how they should perform and frequently what rewards they receive – hence gender inequity. This has usually led to lower status and discrimination against girls/women but has increasingly been seen as limiting the options and potentially harming boys/men too. Gender is not a politically correct term for sex. Sex testing would be just that – establishing whether a person is biologically female or male. So gender testing is not the term that should be used this case, but sex testing.

Secondly, to tackle the science issue, as this tends to obscure the real issue of gender stereotyping and discrimination so evident in this case. Professor Tim Noakes, an international sports science expert says the issue of ‘unfair advantage’ which is the only thing that should be at play here as it is in the case of drug use,is simple to establish. He states that the issue that needs to be clarified here is whether the person concerned is a man masquerading as a woman or not. This could be established by a simple physical examination ‘handled within the usual constraints of the doctor/patient domain – not in the public domain” (Cape Argus, ‘Why the world should leave Caster alone’ Fri Aug 21, 2009:21), as has happened in the harmful manner in which the IAAF has handled this.
As for the rest, he says as there is great variation. All other possible tests including chromosome testing is indeterminate and so that should be left well alone. The calls for more to be done in dealing with this issue and await judgment are therefore erroneous and cloud the issue in a shroud of inappropriate so-called scientific enquiry.

The third issue relates to what lies at the heart of the matter, social norms. While issues of racism and imperialism have and will continue to apply in various circumstances and have a sensitive history in terms of women’s bodies particular in Africa, focusing on these issues in the current context obscures the much neglected ‘elephant in the room’ - gender discrimination. Comments within the press and on talk shows are unwittingly guilty of this same problem in placing ‘blame’ at Athletics South Africa or her coach’s door. (article in sportsscientists.com and editorial in Mail and Guardian ‘Racing to conclusions’, August 21-27 2009:20). They argue that the authorities should have pre-empted this situation, given her prior experiences (at the hands of the teachers, members of the public and previous authorities). ‘Pre-empting the situation’ would fall prey to the exactly these same prejudices – pandering to what people perceive to be 'normal' for girls or women. This is akin to what might have happened during the apartheid era where actions may have tried to stave off racism by negotiating black people’s entry into racially reserved sporting or cultural events before the time. Many white girls who do not ‘look’ as society expects will tell similar humiliating stories of being stopped from entering female public toilets or being questioned as to whether they male or female. At the core of this issue are ideas about gender how girls/women and boys/men ‘look’ and ‘behave’ and perform (in this case perhaps a young woman winning by 2 seconds ahead of the field is not seen as 'normal').

This is what has been so hard to address locally in South Africa, despite our progressive constitution, due to deeply held dominant ideas about what is ‘female’ and ‘male’. It is these ideas and actions that promote gender discrimination. This leads to men, who in societies’ terms do not look ‘masculine enough’, being called ‘sissies’ and women who look not ‘feminine enough’ being labelled ‘butch’. In our own society, this has led to violent attacks on some women and in our own and other countries to violent attacks on some boys/men. This is what we need to clearly point as underlying this case and name it for what it is. Framing the discrimination as racism or imperialism without reference to gender discrimination as the main issue risks reinforcing gender stereotypes.

Societies have a long way to go in terms of changing the dominant ideas on how women and men should ‘look’ and behave and perform and in some cases, dress – and allow for variations in ‘looks’ and roles to be underpinned by what people would like to be and do, rather than societies’ current dominant expectations. There are many excellent organisations in our own country and abroad that have worked with women and men on this issues, but as it is all to obvious from this and other cases, much work is still needed for these choices and this freedom to take root in the broader society as a whole.

Caster should not be having to deal with a world controversy over her win. She should be unreservedly basking in the glory of her and our incredible victory. No doubt she has experienced this humiliation and discrimination at other levels before and has become somewhat hardened to its effect, but we wish her, her friends and her family strength in dealing with this blatant gender discrimination. As Caster Semenya and our other gold medal winner, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, return tomorrow – congratulations on your amazing wins and Caster, you have our full support. For the rest, to Caster's detractors or apologists, hang your heads in shame for not ‘naming’ the issue for what it is and for perpetuating gender stereotypes and discrimination in her individual case and in society as a whole.'
As we once again approach the 16 days of activism against violence against women, let us bear these issues in mind and not mouth platitudes in our struggle against gender inequity and discrimination.


Diane Cooper – Director, Women’s Health Research Unit, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town
Leslie London, Director, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town
Nomfundo Eland , Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) Women’s Rights Campaign
Larissa Klazinga and Rhodes Gender Action Project
Lisa Vetten, Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre to End Violence Against Women
Nomfundo Eland,TAC Women’s Rights Campaign

Shirley Walters, University of Western Cape, South Africa
Lillian Artz, Director, Gender, Health and Justice Unit, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Glenn de Swardt, Health4Men
Jane Harries, Associate Director, Women's Health Research Unit, University of Cape Town
Jennifer Moodley, Women's Health Research Unit, University of Cape Town
Sheila Meintjes, Political Studies Department, Wits University
Ilse Ahrends, the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children
Phumi Mtetwa,the Lesbian and Gay Equality Project
Marion Stevens, Health Systems Trust
Sipho Mthathi, Human Rights Watch South Africa.
Deborah Byrne, Foundation for Human Rights (FHR)
Sumaya Mall, Women’s Health Research Unit, University of Cape Town
Ntobeko Nywagi, Women’s Health Research Unit, University of Cape Town
Sheila Cishe, Women’s Health Research Unit, University of Cape Town
Chelsea Morroni, Women’s Health Research Unit, University of Cape Town
Phyllis Orner, Women’s Health Research Unit, University of Cape Town
Regina Mlobeli, Women’s Health Research Unit, University of Cape Town
Mary Jansen (KIWIA) Khoe San Indigenous Women in Action
Angelica Pino, Gender-based Violence Programme, Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation
Shireen Hassim, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa

Linda Cooper, Centre for Higher Education and Development, University of Cape Town
Akosua Adomako Ampofo, Inst. of African Studies and Head, Centre for Gender Studies & Advocacy, University of Ghana, Legon
Cathy Mathews, Medical Research Council
Fareeda Jadwat,African Gender Institute, University of Cape Town
Ilse Ahrends, Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children, South Africa
Di McIntyre, NRF chair, Health Economics Unit, University of Cape Town
Andrea Rother, Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health Research, University of Cape Town
Carol Thomas, thewomanspace
Johanna Kehler, Director, AIDS Legal Network, South Africa
Carrie Shelver, People Opposing Women Abuse, South Africa
Gabi Jiyane, the Lesbian and Gay Equality Project
Balise Mahlangu, the Lesbian and Gay Equality Project
Ayanda Rapita, the Lesbian and Gay Equality Project

Gertrude Fester,Feminist Forum/ Women's and Gender Studies,University of Western Cape
Naeemah Abrahams, Gender and Health Research Unit, Medical Research Council, South Africa
Angelica Pino, Gender-based Violence Programme, Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, South Africa
Pamela Scully, Women's Studies and African Studies, Emory University & Deputy Editor, Women's History Review
Mary Jansen (KIWIA) Khoe San Indigenous Women in Action
Melissa Steyn, Department of Sociology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Gabi Jiyane,the Lesbian and Gay Equality Project
Marion Heap, Health and Human Rights, School of Public Health and Family Medicine,University of Cape Town
Balise Mahlanguthe, Lesbian and Gay Equality Project
Bernadette Bredekamp, Division of Family Medicine, University of Cape Town
Ayanda Rapita, the Lesbian and Gay Equality Project
Larissa Klazinga and Rhodes Gender Action Project
Laura Pollecutt, South Africa
Sokari Ekine,London
Natasha Primo
Alex Kent
Annemarie Hendrikz
Jon Weinberg, Cape Town
EvaHunt, South Africa
Shirley Gunn, Cape Town
Susan Holland-Muter, South Africa

Tara Weinberg, Cape Town
Lavona George, South Africa
Gille de vlieg, South Africa
Michael Weinberg, Cape Town
Anne Schuster, South Africa
Jenny Radloff, South Africa
Kathy Watters, Cape Town
Sakina Mohamed, South Africa
Nicolene McLean, Gender Action Project
Carla Tsampiras, Rhodes History Dept
Corinne Knowles, GENACT
Alan Kirkaldy, NTESU
Thava Govender, Human Development Consulting Agency,KZN, South Africa
Richard Matzopoulos, Medical Research Council and UCT Public Health
Bernedette Muthien, Engender
Sally Gross,Intersex South Africa
Surplus People Project, South Africa
Sharon Stanton, S.L Stanton Attorneys
Tessa Lewin, Communications Manager, Pathways of Women's Empowerment, Institute of Development Studies, UK
Nisaa Institute for Women’s Development

In Solidarity: Statement in Support of Mary Robinson, Presidential Medal of Honor Awardee

The African Women's Development Fund(AWDF)supports the nomination of former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson for the [United States of America's]Presidential Medal of Freedom. Mary Robinson has been a longtime friend and supporter of the African Women's Development Fund. She has constantly supported the rights of women and marginalised groups. She indeed deserves the honour of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Today we join with numerous women’s rights and human rights organizations around the world to salute Mary Robinson’s accomplishments and to celebrate her Presidential Medal of Freedom Award.

We commend the Obama Administration for awarding the US Medal of Freedom to former Irish President and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), Mary Robinson. For many years now, Mary has been a strong and unwavering supporter of the slogan made famous at the 1995 Beijing UN Conference for Women: “Women’s rights are Human rights.”

Both as President of Ireland, and later as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, she served as a witness to human rights abuses around the world and brought dignity and integrity to the office and her dealings with all states and peoples. As High Commissioner, Mary used her office to full effect, demonstrating to people around the world that a UN official can and should exemplify courage and compassion.

Mary Robinson has long been a champion of the inherent dignity and equal rights of all people, particularly those whose voices are often marginalized – women and children. As a lawyer in her native Ireland, she brought landmark cases before the courts including legal actions that led to the removal of discrimination against children born out of wedlock, and the achievement of equal pay and opportunity for women in the workplace.

We deplore the tactics of personal attacks, character assassination and misinformation launched by a variety of groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Anti-Defamation League; suggesting that she is not worthy of this medal.

Mary continues her human rights work today in her capacity as a member of the Elders group, along with Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela, as well as her leadership of the Realizing Rights Initiative. A recent Newsweek article states, “Obviously, she has been an indomitable defender of freedom across the globe.” In her numerous activities and leadership roles, Mary Robinson has been and remains a true agent of social change and is richly deserving of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Yours truly,

Global Fund for Women
Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights
V-Day
Breakthrough: Building Human Rights Culture
Pat Mitchell, Executive Director, Paley Center for Media
Hon. Linda Tarr-Whelan, Former Ambassador to the UN Commission on the Status of Women
Geraldine Laybourne, CEO, Oxygen Media
Naomi Klein, Author
Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO, Acumen Fund
Mary Ann Stein, President, Moriah Fund
Institute for Women's Leadership
Hibaq Osman, Fund for Peace
Holly Near, Singer
Karama/Arab Women's Fund
INFORM
MS Foundation
Women’s Learning Partnership (WLP)
World Organisation Against Torture
Nirnaya
Jessica B. Nkuuhe, Urgent Action Fund – Africa
Lynn Freedman Professor, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Chris Grumm, Women’s Funding Network
Lydia Alpízar Durán, AWID
Ritu Sharma, Co-Founder and President, Women Thrive
Nancy Rubin, Former Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Commission
Emilienne de León, Semillas
Hoda Elsadda, Chair, Women and Memory Forum
Zainab Salbi, Women for Women International
Eve Ensler
Donna Korones
Deanne Stone
Anne Bailey
Cathy Cade
African Women's Development Fund(AWDF)

Did Obama say anything we did not already know?

I thought I had heard all about the Obama speech (I have said on several occasions that he did not say anything I did not know) until recently when I heard two well educated and learned professionals discussing some of the ills in our society. They spoke specifically about:

• Corruption in the public sector
• The slow economy since the change of government in Ghana ( which took place in January)
• The sudden fall of the cedi against the dollar and
• President Obama’s recent statement calling on Africans to take responsibility for themselves – which in turn will garner further support from America.

This statement by President Obama was hailed as the solution to the numerous issues confronting us as a nation.

I have heard several people allude to Obama’s speech, making reference to this one statement and made it seem as if “Prophet Obama” has spoken and this is it. I was most impressed with the choice of Ghana for the visit and happy that President Obama came to Ghana but the truth is he did not say anything I did not know and I did not expect him to. Did Africans not know they have to take responsibility for themselves? In each and every ethnic African tribe there is a saying or proverb that alludes to this. So why are we applauding Obama for repeating what we know? Or for some it is the wisest saying in their time? I find so many people including my two learned friends hail this as “the speech” of our time. I have also seen so many think we were insulted on our own land and yet applauded the insults.

For most of us President Obama did not say anything we did not know. He only echoed and emphasized what we know, what we have said amongst ourselves and in our own small ways are implementing in a bid to enable us achieve greater heights. Several individuals and tons of Ghanaians are daily engaged in taking responsibility for themselves in a bid to create a better place and an enabling environment for themselves and for others to thrive. These are genuine hard working people with no political leverage. However as a nation the state and government hardly offers an enabling environment to buffer the efforts of individuals. We are daily confronted with painful bureaucratic and slow institutions which includes negative attitudes and poor ethics displayed in the workplace – this we encounter both at the public and private levels.

Perhaps one major statement which I think Obama should have demanded as a condition for USA support is the statement that “Africa does not need strong men but strong institutions”. Yes we need strong institutions to enforce law and order. We need strong institutions to implement policies, to check corruption and to enforce good practices in order to move our country forward. As for the issue of strong men we are all witnesses of how they have failed us and have led us to our present predicament as a nation. Maybe having strong women would make a difference. Let us consider this and work towards bringing on board strong women as we build strong institutions. I am certain we will see a difference.

Grantee Spotlight: Rural Women's Movement in Swaziland

An email update sent to Nafi Chinery, AWDF’s Capacity Building Officer: Feedback from Rural Women’s Movement (RWM), an AWDF grantee in Swaziland on their experiences at the recent International Resource Mobilisation Workshop (IWRM) held in Bangalore, India. AWDF supported RWM and 4 other grantees to attend the IWRM.

Dear Nafi,

On behalf of RWM I wish to thank AWDF for its support.

My being part of the 9th IWRM in Bangalore was an eye opener for me. I have always been too scared to ask for financial assistance. Since I initiated RWM in 1998 I have been getting like 30% of my salary because asking for money for me has always been difficult. Even working on a budget has been difficult it has always felt like we are asking for too much. But after participating in the 9th IWRM I feel confident enough to ask for financial assistance without feeling like we are a burden.

My expectations were met and I had an opportunity to meet with fundraisers who have been in this field for a long time. All the sessions were relevant for me. But of course there were some that did not really meet my expectations. The sessions that I really liked were the sessions that were tackling issues about how to raise funds in the time of this recession. Those covered topics that prompted me to start looking for local support and not depend on international financial support. It also prompted me to look into making financial requests to Business sector. As the RWM we have not looked into the sector and have not tapped on the local resources. So the sessions were great in opening these potential opportunities for RWM.
The lesson I learned was that it is important for organizations to create space to reflect on our work and share our experiences. It was very informative for me to learn from other people’s experiences. Sitting and listening to presenters sharing their experiences was inspiring.

Some of the stories were painful like the one where a local man (I have forgotten )his name was talking about starting a sanitary towel organization, in communities where women had no material to use as sanitary towels and were using sand. But because of his passion he raised funds and mobilized resources for the program and the program is now making 6,000 sanitary towels a day and women have not have to suffer using sand which is cold in winter and very hot in summer. In his presentation he says after raising awareness about the plight of women in his area funders poured financial support in such a way that he had to ask them to channel money to other organizations because it was too much money for his organization. The lesson I learned on his presentation is that it is good for one to follow ones heart and try something that has never been tried before. And that if a proposal is clear and it responds to the communities needs and aspirations it is not a challenge to get financial support for the program/project.

I also learned that in most situations it helps to make a request for what [the] organization needs and not the money. Like in the issue of a presentation on sanitary towels the fundraiser was not asking for money to buy the sanitary towels but he was asking for pieces of materials so those who had unused pieces [of] material donated material/fabrics and those who did not have fabric/material donated money. When writing a proposal I have always been asking for money. I learned that it’s a great idea to ask for a computer rather than asking for money to buy a computer because the funder might know someone out there who might be desperate to give away computers and not money. Also I learned that the funding communities do not have time to read lengthy proposals its good to prepare a short proposal and it must be clear and to the point.

The challenge was that there was a lot going on, very good sessions happening at the same time. I think the program was a bit too tight there was no time to connect with other participants and engage on the issues coming out of the sessions and learn from one another’s experiences.

If the resources allow it would be good to keep a bit of time for reflection and for the participants to connect and share ideas, even just for half an hour a day. The participants are a very good resource in events like the IWRM; they have a lot to share with other people and to learn from other people. The sessions did not create much of that space because of time constraints.

The idea about having this kind of event in India was great. I think India has a lot to teach other developing countries about how they dealt with their own development challenges. From the experience I learned at 9th IWRM, after listening to my report RWM has started looking at resources within RWM. The RWM Committee is suggesting to the members that members should contribute about $1-50 per year. We are also working on a strategy on how we are going to approach the business sector and individuals who are sympathetic to RWM work.

I feel honoured to have been part of the IWRM event and would like to thank AWDF for making this opportunity available to RWM. It would be very good for me to learn from other participants experiences, how they found the IWRM and how it has changed their approach in their respective organizations. We did not have time to connect this might be a space for us to share our experiences.

Sizani Ngubane, Rural Women’s Movement

In Solidarity: African Women and Human Rights Organisations across Africa

Women across Africa are appalled by the decision to try a Sudanese woman journalist Lubna Ahmed Hussein and two others for violating the public dress code. African women and human rights organizations urged the court to dismiss the charges and abolish this repressive law against women. “The charges are clearly an abuse of women’s human rights and violate Sudanese women’s full enjoyment of international conventions, most
notably, the African Union’s Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa,” says Faiza Mohamed, Director of Equality Now which is part of the Pan African coalition Solidarity for African Women’s Rights Coalition. The coalition has 33 members working in 25 African countries for the ratification and implementation of the Protocol.


According to the press reports, thirteen women were arrested by police in a restaurant in Khartoum, Sudan, and charged with violating the public dress code under article 152 (Indecent and Immoral Acts) of the 1991 Penal Code on 10 July 2009.10 women have already been flogged. The arrests took place when the public order police stormed the restaurant and arrested women diners dressed in trousers, which they regarded as ‘indecent’.
Tuesday 4th August is the date set for the court hearing.

Women’s organizations have already started to petition the Government of Sudan to repeal discriminatory laws against women, which are embedded in Sudanese legislation. A few hours after its release, the petition was attracting signatures from across Africa and elsewhere in the world.

The petition is signed by Sudanese women’s organizations and states that the actions by the public order police and Courts of Sudan contradict the declared government commitment to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement
(CPA) signed on 9 January 2005 and the National Interim Constitution and uphold the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) - which Sudan acceded in 1986- which prohibits torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment such as flogging and protects women's rights to be free from discrimination based on sex.

Additionally, as Sudan continues to seek Africa’s support to set aside the warrant of arrest from the International
Criminal Court, the charges brought against these women completely undermine the spirit of the AU Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, signed by Sudan on 30 June 2008. The Protocol emphasizes that women’s right must be respected and that existing discriminatory laws and practice should be reformed in order to promote and protect the rights of women. “The call by women’s organisations that the Government of Sudan must cease the use of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments, guarantee respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with the National Interim Constitution and regional and international human rights standards must not only be heard but must be heeded to immediately” said Ms. Mohamed

SOAWR calls on African women to continuously write to the Sudanese authorities, regional and continental intergovernmental bodies at the highest level should the courts act contrary to the Interim Constitution and regional human rights standards and convict Lubna Ahmed Hussein and two others


End
The petition available online at: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/end-repressive-laws-targeting-women-insudan
CONTACT
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Tel: +254-2-271193/2719832
Email: info@soawr.org