Voices from across the globe have, for some time, been posing the question of how to reclaim our cities; shaping or moulding them into locations of possibility for all who live in them“how do we reclaim our cities to be locations of possibility for all who live in them?”.
This is in alignmented with the to gender-response resilience and intersectionality in policy and practice (GRRIPP) reassessment of power relations between and within countries.
What role can each one of us play to be agents of the change that we want to see? How do we hold our leaders accountable? And how do we prioritise women and children in the city’s design and infrastructure where their needs, rights and access requirements are paramount?
Our local news is often about yet another murder of an innocent woman, or of rape, such as the recent Krugersdorp gang-rape incident. Yet, in spite of their frequency, not nearly enough of these cases make it to the news, and even more cases go unreported.
Eradicating gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), inequality and poverty requires a collaborative, transdisciplinary and multi-pronged response.
Passing laws, ploughing more money into policing and writing new laws is not enough. Leaders should be accountable for their actions and areas of responsibility.
Serving with integrity and using an intersectional feminist approach is the starting point. SolvingProviding for the weakest in the value chain forms part of the building blocks for an equal and just society.
What will it take to restore law and order, to restore our culture of ubuntu that everyone talks about? When you talk about feminism, people have many images that are anything but feminism. If feminism is about all genders having equal rights and opportunities, it is a no-brainer that we should all be feminists – men and women, girls and boys. However, we need inclusion, because focusing only on gender leaves other groups within the same gender overshadoweduncatered for.
It is important to acknowledge the interplay between gender and forms of discrimination based on race, age, class, socio-economic status, physical or mental ability, sexual identity, religion and ethnicity.
To be a true ally of intersectional feminism you need to accept your privilege as a middle-class woman who lives in the upmarket city, or as a white male anywhere in the world. This enables youis in order to learn and understand the positions and the journeys of other feminists who are more disadvantaged than yourself. That is part of the building blocks needed for feminist cities and spaces, where all are safe and free to thrive.
As privileged, educated groups, whether that be in business or academia, we tend to clubgroup together and articulate our own views of injustice against women. However, we need to take the time to listen and make space for the views of others.
Our platform as privileged men and women should be used to allow bring the voices of other feminists to have a seat at the table. We need to unlearn and reject the prejudices that our patriarchal society feeds us. As men and women, we should acknowledge women for the contribution they have made since time immemorial, through their leadership and their sacrifices.
) Dr Judy Dlamini is chairperson of the GBVF Response Fund
