Academics from Stellenbosch University (SU) recently published a book on the experiences of women during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The book, Covid Diaries: Women’s Experience of the Pandemic, is a collection of essays that was co-edited by Olivia Ezeobi, a lecturer in the department of economics at SU, and Prof Amanda Gouws, a professor of political science at the university. This was according to Gouws.
Gouws engaged with South African women from a range of disciplines and institutions to produce the book, including women in non-governmental organisations (NGO) and the corporate sector. The book was officially published on 17 July, and serves as an archive of women’s voices and unique experiences throughout the pandemic, according to Gouws, on her official blog.
Covid-19 Diaries: Women’s Experience of the Pandemic, which was written by a diverse group of South African women, is a collection of essays that gives voice to the experiences of women during the Covid-19 pandemic. PHOTO: Supplied/Amanda Gouws
Giving voice to South African women
One of the essays in the book, The Buttons that Hold Together: ‘Umakoti’ in the Face of Covid-19, was written by Dr. Nelly Sharpley, a sociology researcher from Walter Sisulu University. It tells the story of a “young African wedded woman – Umakoti – from the rural Eastern Cape during Covid-19”, Sharpley narrated in her essay.
“This essay represents the experiences of Umakoti as a way of explaining Xhosa culture and the women of rural South Africa,” read Sharpley.
Women throughout South Africa have faced the challenge of their voices being silenced or their stories erased from history, according to Gouws. The book aims to “give voice to” South African women, she said.
The essay, The Buttons that Hold Together: ‘Umakoti’ in the Face of Covid-19, written and narrated by Dr. Nelly Sharpley, sheds light on the pandemic as experienced by Xhosa women in rural South Africa. This was according to Sharpley. The essay formed part of the book, Covid Diaries: Women’s Experience of the Pandemic. AUDIO: Supplied/Amanda Gouws
“What struck me about all the stories is how beautifully they are written,” said Gouws.
These Stories that deal with these experiences on such a personal level – such as mental health, friends and family members’ Covid-diagnoses, and aging – which reminds us of the human impact of Covid-19.
Each essay depicts the realities faced by South African women in different roles and sectors of our society, according to Ezeobi.
Covid Diaries: Women’s Experience of the Pandemic, a collection of essays documenting the experiences of South African women during the Covid-19 pandemic, will be available in podcast format, and narrated by the authors of each essay. This is according to Prof Amanda Gouws, a professor of political science at the university and co-editor of the book. PHOTO: Supplied/Anton Jordaan
Ezeobi’s personal experience was having to juggle between taking care of my toddler and fulfilling academic duties in the same space of the home, when these responsibilities were usually kept separate.