A Stellenbosch University (SU) student organisation recently launched a new portfolio that focuses on empowering women in Stellenbosch.
The Womxn Empowerment committee, which forms part of the United Nations Associations of South Africa (UNASA) Stellenbosch Chapter, launched on 28 October.
The portfolio aims to address various issues affecting women such as gender equality, gender- based violence crisis and female empowerment, said Katelynn Snyman, UNASA chairperson and Womxn Empowerment Committee founder.
According to Snyman, UNASA does have other committees, such as the Human Rights committee that focuses on gender equality amongst other things. However, this initiative will allow [UNASA] to focus specifically on this topic, without neglecting other issues.
“I believe that gender equality and especially aiding women to actually achieve that equality is something so important that it needs a committee all by itself,” said Snyman.
Snyman stated that if the committee can collaborate and with other likeminded organisations, then it can help to bring about change.
“The bigger the community fighting for women’s rights, the bigger the impact and the change will be,” said Snyman.
Tumaini Chikoti, the chairperson of the Womxn Empowerment committee, stated that the committee is dedicated to bolstering the presence of women empowerment on campus.
According to Chikoti, the committee is planning various projects and campaigns which will be implemented next year.
The goal is to start collecting sanitary items through donations from organisations and the community, said Chikoti.
“We then plan on redistributing them in campus bathrooms, as well as donating sanitary items to Safe House, the only women’s shelter in Stellenbosch,” Chikoti stated.
Chikoti stated that other initiatives include collaborating with non- profit organisation, Fight Back SA to offer free self-defence classes that will be offered once every term on campus, and a SlutWalk in August for women’s month.
Member of the Womxn Empowerment committee, Emma Fookwe, believes that the committee can start and ensure the sustainment around the conversation surrounding issues that are unique to women’s rights.
According to Fookwe, the committee plans to engage with various groups of people on campus about issues in relation to women’s rights, in order to spark more conversations and ‘unlearning’.
“I believe that the first step to advocating for women’s rights is to speak to people at a grassroots level and facilitate ‘unlearning’ about misogynistic beliefs, traditions and how society was designed to be patriarchal,” said Fookwe.
Fookwe stated that the committee recognises that the Covid-19 pandemic is challenging to work around in terms of planning for next year.
However, Fookwe states that the committee have back up plans in order to ensure that social distancing will be maintained and that the committee will achieve what they have set out to.