BLUE AND GOLD
DVC’S CORNER
Prof Pamela Dube, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Development and Support
I
t gives me great pleasure to write this column, especially at this time. This month, we mark the 65th anniversary since the 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings, where 20 000 women challenged both the pass laws that restricted their freedom of movement and the oppressive system behind those laws. In recognition of this legacy, the South African government declared 9 August as National Women’s Day — an annual celebration of South African women’s contribution to the liberation of the country and to its achievements since the dawn of our democracy in 1994. It is a reminder of how far we have come as a country to ensure women take centre stage and are counted, as well as a reminder that the legacy of apartheid remains and has contributed to the current triple challenge of inequality, unemployment and poverty among women. Further to this, it is important to foreground that the month of August, Women’s Month, is not just about celebration. It is also a time for us to reflect on progress and achievements, as well as on the challenges we still face in the struggle for women’s
empowerment and gender equality. At the University of the Western Cape (UWC), we continue to celebrate women, including athletes who are proudly flying the flag not only of this great institution but that of our country. These include UWC alumnae Genevieve Lentz and Kayla Richards, who were among the four students and or alumni to play, officiate or serve as staff at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It was such a proud moment to see Genevieve making national and international headlines for becoming the first woman — not only from South Africa but from the entire African continent — to become a table tennis referee since the inception of the Olympic Games. This is what UWC has increasingly been known for — breaking new ground to achieve the unthinkable. Not long ago, our own Babalwa Latsha became the first woman rugby player to sign a professional contract, too. Having followed the Olympics closely, it was heartwarming to watch Genevieve, just like other Olympians from our campus, representing our beloved country with pride. I also wish to extend my congratulations to Thembi Kgatlana, who recently signed a
WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN TORCHBEARERS, WHO HAVE BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT 6
contract with the Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, and whose journey is recounted in her newly-released biography, Strike A Rock: The Story of Thembi Kgatlana. I must also thank all the women who became trailblazers in sport, who have created a base for our young, upcoming girls to emulate. Because these girls, too, now believe they can go all the way and do it. As UWC, we will always be highly indebted to the likes of Genevieve, Kayla, Babalwa, Thembi, Leandra and many others for putting this institution on the map at all times. Let me also acknowledge the strides these heroines of ours are making off the field, with initiatives that support young girls. To me, this is a true reflection of the leadership that UWC has produced, and they continue using sport to make a difference in our communities. These are women who have been torchbearers, who have been at the forefront of women’s struggles in sport and who have undermined the cultural logic of patriarchy prevalent in sport. In his book, Long Walk to Freedom, the former president Nelson Mandela wrote: “I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities.” Indeed, let’s take this moment to reflect on how far we have come, keeping in mind there is still a long way to go for women’s emancipation — not only in sport but in various aspects of society. #IAMUWC #WEAREUWC
