Facilitator Neo Sokwaliwa opening the sexism discourse workshop. PHOTO: Lucian van Wyk
Students raised their voices on Tuesday 16 March in one of four discourse workshops hosted by the SRC, focusing on defining gender stereotypes in post-apartheid South Africa.
The workshop took place at Nerina women’s residence and looked at the stages of set stereotypes at Stellenbosch University. It looked at sexism from an administrative point of view but also in residence and co-curricular spaces, and the themes and ideas that perpetuate sex and gender stereotypes.
According to Neo Sokwaliwa (23), the facilitator of the workshop and third year medical student, sex- and gender stereotyping falls into the category of how we have been trained to think and how we all fit into societal norms on the basis of our gender.
Issues brought up in the workshop ranged from the problematic definition of femininity and masculinity, to the issue of institutional sex- and gender stereotyping and how it manifests in Stellenbosch University’s institutional environment.
Audience members voiced that marginalised categories are still present within faculties. Many of these students are surprised that the stereotype of male lecturers being better at their job than female lecturers still exists.
An audience member participating in the discourse workshop. PHOTO: Lucian van Wyk
“It is clear that some faculties are exposed to historic gender stereotypes, with certain degree courses associated and attributed to women and certain to men. Such as education, arts and economic management sciences, whereas engineering is seen as a course for males,” says Zahn Rijnen (20), Nerina women’s residence critical engagement community council member and second year accounting student.
The disparity when comparing men’s and women’s residences was also a big issue that was brought up by audience members.
Rijnen says that “when attending university development sessions, it’s pushed that there are three great alumni structures on campus which other residences should aspire to be like. I find it funny that all three of them are men’s residences.”
“Stellenbosch University was historically a men’s only university. Women are taken on the back foot because we don’t have that history to have that kind of structures. Trying to become one of the great alumni’s on campus is very difficult because it’s almost like the institution and the administration part of the university do not want to conform. It’s like they’re saying ‘do develop but don’t’ at the same time.”
Stellenbosch University was established in 1874 as Stellenbosch Gymnasium and initially only had males enrolled. Four years later the institution started enrolling female students and became Victoria College in 1880 and Stellenbosch University in 1918.
The institution only had one male residence on campus, namely Wilgenhof men’s residence from 1903. It only established a women’s residence two years later.
According to Sokwaliwa it is important to talk about gender representation within the academic and residence spaces because one needs to understand that “gender is a spectrum”.
He adds that “if one can take something out from the discussion it is that work needs to be done to break down the binary because humans are a spectrum and they’re dynamic, and if you’re able to understand that and accept that people are dynamic, you will begin to accept that sex is dynamic, gender is dynamic, and sexuality is dynamic.”
According to Kristoff Krige (22), the SRC manager for Critical Engagement and BA Law student, the discourse workshop was set up to provide a safe space for those individuals who would normally not come to the table.
“The intention was to merely pose the questions and allow for students to develop the narrative so that we may learn from each other,” said Krige.
He adds that out of the four workshops held, the second session titled #NotAllMen was the most controversial with the conversation escalating to a debate of definitions.
The lesson learned from the discourse workshops is that the topic of sex- and gender stereotyping is not explored enough and that “it is about time we sat down comfortably and engage with them critically,” he adds.