GENDER EQUALITY IN TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP IN SOUTH AFRICA: A NOSTALGIC DREAM?

NC Dlamini

doi:10.17501.26028611.2023.3104

Authors

NC Dlamini Centre for Sociological Research and Practice, Department of Sociology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17501.26028611.2023.3104

Keywords:

gender equality, traditional leadership, patriarchy, discrimination, human factor development, women empowerment

Abstract

Whilst considerable progress has been made to advance gender equality in South Africa, particularly in the modern democratic governance space, traditional leadership has remained relatively less responsive to calls for gender inclusion. Yet, women’s participation in decision-making does not only have historical footprints in Africa, as espoused in much of the literature; it also has a potential to facilitate better performance of traditional authority and local municipalities and promote more credible and accountable local government. Although the literature advances several reasons to explain the near exclusion of women’s participation in traditional leadership in the country, this paper argues that the primary factor associated with gender inequality in traditional leadership in South Africa is patriarchy. The paper maintains that patriarchy is a common denominator of much of the explanation for gender inequality in traditional leadership. It is argued, therefore, that understanding the gender issue from this perspective and the sustained yet routinized and systemic ways in which, through patriarchy, women are discriminated against, is critical to promoting women’s participation in traditional leadership.The article relies on secondary data derived from a review of local and international peer-reviewed journals and research reports, including dissertations and databases of research and relevant public institutions. The data was scrupulously analysed and cross-checked to offset the disadvantages of secondary data to ensure credibility of the sources and data reliability and consistency. The article confirms that women’s participation in traditional leadership is constrained by patriarchal biases against women and that promoting women’s participation in decision-making in that institution of governance will evidently enhance performance of local government and quality of life in rural communities. The article concludes that attempts to promote gender equality in traditional leadership should not only focus on legal and administrative precepts but also the development of positive human factor, particularly among members of royal families and tribal communities.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abuiyada, R. (2018) Traditional Development Theories have failed to Address the Needs of the majority of People at Grassroots Levels with Reference to GAD International Journal of Business and Social Science Vol. 9; No. 9, September 2018, doi:10.30845/ijbss. v9n9, p12, p.114-119

Achebe, N. (2018) Women and Authority in West African History, IN Achebe, Nwando, Samuel Adu-Gyamfi, Joe Alie, Hassoum Ceesay, Toby Green, Vincent Hiribarren, Ben Kye-Ampadu, History Textbook: West African Senior School Certificate Examination (2018), https://wasscehistorytextbook.com/; https://wasscehistorytextbook.com/11-women-and-authority-in-west-african-history/ Accessed: 14/02/2023

Adjibolosoo, S. (1995) The Human Factor in Developing Africa, Westport: Praeger

Bekker, J. C. & Boonzaaier, C.C. (2008). Succession of women to traditional leadership: is the judgment in Shilubana v Nwamitwa based on sound legal principles? https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/9982/Bekker_Succession%282008%29.pdf?sequence=1 Accessed: 16/6/2023)

Boonzaaier, E. and Sharp, S. (1988). South African keywords — the uses and abuses of political concepts. Claremont: David Phillip Publishers

Boserup, E. (2007). Women’s Role in Economic Development, London: Routledge, First Edition, eBook, September 2013. New Introduction by Nazneen Kanji, Su Fei Tan, Camilla Toulmin https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315065892

Braidotti, R. et al. (1994). Women, the Environment and Sustainable Development: Towards a Theoretical Synthesis. London: Zed Books.

Charlton, S. (1984). Women in Third World Development. London: Westview Press

Chauke, M. T. (2015) The Role of Women in Traditional Leadership with Special Reference to the Valoyi Tribe, Sud Tribes Tribals, 13(1): 34-39.

Chengu, G. (2015) The Capitalist Origins of Oppression of African Women. http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/03/06/the-capitalist-origins-of-the-oppression-of-african-women/ Accessed: March 7, 2023.

Coetzee, D. (2001) South African education and ideology of patriarchy. South African Journal of Education, 21, 300-304.

CGE (Commission on Gender Equality) (1998). Annual Report of the Commission on Gender

Equality. Pretoria: Government Printer, Pretoria, South Africa.

CGE (Commission for Gender Equality) (2017) Royalty and Women’s Empowerment: Assessing Gender Mainstreaming through Houses of Traditional Leaders, (Commission for Gender Equality, Research Report)

……… (2018) Gender Rights Under Culture Rites: Assessing Women’s Empowerment through Houses of Traditional Leaders in South Africa

……... (2019a) Balancing the Scales: Reviewing developments in women’s representation in Politics and Government between the 2014 and 2019 Elections, Commission for Gender Equality, Pretoria, South Africa

……... (2019b) Elections and Gender Mainstreaming: Assessing Gender Issues and Women’s Representation in South Africa’s 2019 Elections

Facio, A. (2013) What is Patriarchy? http://www.learnwhr.org/wp- content/uploads/D-Facio-What-is-Patriarchy.pdf Accessed: March 12, 2023.

Hafez, M-A. P. V. (2001) Patriarchy as empire: A Theological Reflection, Historiae Ecclesiasticae, December 2011, 37 -, 259-270.

Koenane, M. L. J. (2017) The role and significance of traditional leadership in the governance of modern democratic South Africa, Africa Review · December 2017 DOI: 10.1080/09744053.2017.1399563

Khuzwayo, N., Chipungu, L. Magidimisha, H. and Lewis, M. (2019) Examining women’s access to rural land in UMnini Trust traditional area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, South Africa. Town and Regional Planning, no.75, pp. 31-43.

Lesko, B. S. (1999) The Great Goddesses of Egypt, University of Oklahoma Press: Norman

Muriaas, Ragnhild L., Vibeke Wang, Lindsay Benstead, Boniface Dulani, and Lise Rakner. “Why the Gender of Traditional Authorities Matters: Intersectionality and Women’s Rights Advocacy in Malawi.” Comparative Political Studies 52, no. 12 (October 2019): 1881–1924. https://doi.org/10.1177/0010414018774369

Mawere, J., Matshidze, P., Kugara, S. and Madzivhandila, T. (2021). The Role and Significance of Traditional Leadership in South African Local Governance. 10.4018/978-1-7998-7492-8.ch014. In: Handbook of Research on Protecting and Managing Global Indigenous Knowledge Systems (pp.249-273).

Mbiti, J. (1991). African religion and philosophies (2nd Ed.). New Hampshire,

USA: Heinemann.

Mensah, C. A., Antwi, K. B. and Dauda, S. (2014) Female Traditional Leaders (Queen Mothers) and Community Planning and Development in Ghana, Environmental Management and Sustainable Development ISSN 2164-7682 Vol. 3, No. 1

Mireku, O. (2010). Customary law and the promotion of gender equality: An appraisal of the Shilubana decision; African Human Rights Law Journal, 10(2): 515-523.

Mutangadura, G. (2007). The incidence of land tenure insecurity in Southern Africa: Policy Implications for Sustainable Development. Natural Resources Forum, 31(3), pp. 176-187. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1477-8947.2007.00148.x

.Napikoski, L. (2021) “Patriarchal Society According to Feminism. Thoughtco, https://www.thoughtco.com/patriarchal-society-feminism-definition-3528978 Accessed: 15/3/2023

Nkasawe, M. (2008) Women traditional leaders: progress or not? Mail & Guardian, 24 June 2008; https://mg.co.za/article/2008-06-24-women-traditional-leaders-progress-or-not/ Accessed: 20/3/2023.

Ntlama, N. and Ndima, D. D. (2009) 'The significance of South Africa's Traditional Courts Bill to the challenge of promoting African traditional justice systems” International Journal of African Renaissance Studies - Multi-, Inter- and Transdisciplinarity 4(1):6-30

Owusu-Ampomah, K, (2011) KwaZulu-Natal Gender Profile; Research Report Commissioned by the Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Author’s Copy.

Owusu-Ampomah, K. (2011) The Quality of the Human Factor and its Implications for Network Dynamics and Small Business Growth and Development Alternation Special Edition 4 (2011) 3 – 29;

Owusu, I. B. (2018) The Gendered Politics of Land Distribution and Inheritance by Widowed Women in Kwazulu-Natal; A Dissertation Submitted in Fulfilment of The Academic Requirements for The Award of a Master of Arts in Gender Studies, School of Social Sciences, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa

Phillps, L. (2019) Culture vs the Constitution: The suffering of Zulu widows. Published Online:18 Oct 2019 https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC-18abe237d8

Pearson, R. (2000) Rethinking Gender Matters in Development, in Allen, T. & Thomas, A. (eds.) Poverty and Development into the 21st Century. Oxford: Oxford University Press;

Popoola, A. & Magidimisha, H. (2019) Will rural areas disappear? Participatory governance and infrastructure provision in Oyo State, Nigeria. In: Tembo-Silungwe, C., Musonda, I. & Okoro, C. Proceedings of the 6th International Conference of Development and Investment – Strategies for Africa. DII-2019, 24-26 July, Livingstone, Zambia, pp.12-26.

Republic of South Africa (1996) The South African Constitution 1996, Chapter 12, 211(1)

Segueda, W. E. (2015) Imported Religions, Colonialism and the Situation of Women in Africa Schriftenreihe Junges Afrikazentrum 3 (2015) https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/opus4wuerzburg/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/12240/file/JAZ03_Segueda.pdf Accessed: 31/3/2023

Tsako, V. (2021) Presentation: Promotion of women in Senior Management Positions https://www.ilgm.co.za/Portals/15/presentations/2017/Promotion_of_women_in_snr_management_positions_-_Vuyiwe_Tsako.pdf?ver=2021-06-01-133842-477

Umaru Baba, S. & Van Der Horst, D. 2018. Intrahousehold relations and environmental entitlements of land and livestock for women in rural Kano, Northern Nigeria. Environments, 5(2), article 26. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments5020026.

Waldron, I.R. (2018). Women On the Frontlines: Grassroots Movements Against Environmental Violence in Indigenous and Black Communities in Canada. Kalfou, 5(2), pp. 251-268.https://doi.org/10.15367/kf.v5i2.211.

Weideman, M. (2004). Land reform, equity and growth in South Africa: A comparative analysis. Unpublished PhD thesis. University of the Witwatersrand: Department of Political Studies.

World Bank (2001) World Development Report 2000/2001: Attacking Poverty Oxford: Oxford University Press;

UNDP (2014) Gender and Poverty Reduction, New York: UNDP http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/povertyreduction/focus_areas/focus_gender_and_poverty.html, Accessed 16/6/2023.

UNDP (Online) Gender equality and democratic governance Available at https://www.undp.org/eurasia/our-focus/gender-equality/gender-equality-and-democratic-governance Accessed: 20/03/2023