Even though I agree that akumukelekile ukushaya abesifazane noma ingaphansi kwasiphi isimo, I had agreed ukuthi abashaywe ngenye induku for the longest of time. But this time around, something in me was in disagreement with the latter.After some thinking, I disagree with this sentiment because it justifies, by implication, that "ukushaya" owesifazane in a certain way is okay. At face value it sounds okay ukuthi abesifazane bashaywe ngenye induku, but it really isn't.
It objectifies the female body as something that you can "fix" ngokuthi uvele uyithele induku. This also carries in it an implication that it is alright to address problems ngenduku (metaphoric or not) without addressing issues differently. It also carries in it a certain level of entitlement, that it is acceptable to address issues concerning another person without consulting them - an infantilisation of women perhaps. I think this is informed by the power that men carry in society, but angikho lapho njengamanje (kubalulekile ukuliveza leli phuzu).
I also think that this is perhaps how abanye bethu reinforce harmful ways of being without having the consciousness of what the impact of how we act and what we say is on others. So ngithi asingabashayi abesifazane jikelele. Kunalokho ake sizinike isikhathi sokufunisisa ukuthi singenza kangcono kanjani njengabantu besilisa. Lento youkubuka kanye nokuphatha abantu besifazane njengabantu abafanele ukushaywa ngolunye uhlobo inodlame.
Wena ubona kanjani? Please share your thoughts, let's talk.
Picture by Vera Arsic
