Faculty of Law
Faculty of Law
P r o f e s s o r U s A N G A s s i m t o P Ac h i e v e r
P r o f e s s o r s u e - M a r I V I l j o e n r I s I n g s ta r
Maintaining productivity is possible with family assistance Professor Usang Assim is an Associate Professor of Law at she freely admits that her productivity took a hit during this time UWC. Her expertise in the area of children’s rights in Africa has and, as a result, affected her mental health and overall well-beseen her gain a prominent voice on the continent, and ing. But she never gave up and found useful solutions. she has written extensively about the circum“It helped for the whole family, including the chilstances children face – from Nigeria and the dren, to acknowledge that we were in it toDrC to south Africa and more. gether and to be committed to making As a female academic and a mother, things work for us all as a unit.” the pandemic took a toll on her Now things are slowly returning to both physically and mentally. normal, as evidenced by the fact she noticed quickly how living that she is successfully juggling through a pandemic placed multiple projects at work again. a greater burden on women for example, she is working than men. “Women bear the on her normal teaching load, heaviest share of responsias well as on an advanced bilities within the domestic short course of Children’s space, including ‘house rights in Africa, which the work’ and raising of chilDullah omar Institute (UWC) dren. hosts annually, in partner“The convergence of both ship with the Centre for Huthe private space and work man rights and the Centre space made it practically imfor Child Law at the Univerpossible to set boundaries.” sity of Pretoria. These insights came from diffi“It is a theoretical and practicult first-hand experience. cal course that usually brings for at least six months of the first together about 40 participants year of the pandemic, Prof Assim had engaging with children’s rights charge over two school-aged children and welfare concerns across the (8 and 11 years old). “It was very challengcontinent. The 2021 edition has been ing juggling my own work with oversight over scheduled for June and we are organising the demands of the children’s school work, given a hybrid model that combines both physical and the home-schooling scenario neonline learning.” cessitated by the pandemic. While But Prof Assim is determined to “It helped for the whole family, including this juggling is an art that many not take anything for granted. women/parents have been practis- the children, to acknowledge that we were in The looming third wave of the ing for several years and decades it together and to be committed to making pandemic makes any kind of plannow, being thrust into the lockdown ning difficult and might force some things work for us all as a unit.” as a result of the pandemic, without changes to the way she works, prior expectations or plans in place, but the experience from 2020 has required significant shifts – emotionally, mentally, psychologically given her the resilience to find a way through it, if it happens and otherwise; and it took a long while to get the shifts right.” again.
Prioritising communication is effective in balancing home and work As a specialist in Property Law, Professor sue-Mari Viljoen is pecially caretakers (of children, elderly persons and persons who require forms of assistance) were affected in a more deeply engaged in the links between housing law, land profound manner than men, simply because reform and property law in south Africa. Her their care-taking duties could not be shared work is focused on both doctrinal issues by others; they were forced to undertake as well as more theoretical concerns such responsibilities themselves. she is grappling with as she finalises “Women in academia who are carea book, co-authored with Prof G takers were disproportionately Muller, titled Property in Housing, affected, because they had to which will be published by Juta. undertake certain additional At the same time, she is also responsibilities such as eduworking on several presencating their children.” tations that deal with the However, she is quick to Expropriation Bill of 2020 acknowledge that many and the expropriation of unmen suffered under an inderutilised land at a cost of creased burden, too. “This nil rand. does not mean that a large she credits her family for percentage of men workhelping her manage the ing in academia were not workload during the panaffected.” demic. “I have a good supThinking back on the biggest port structure, which allows challenges she experienced quality time to work and mainduring 2020, Prof Viljoen notes tain some balance. I prioritised that her main obstacle was actime with my family and I tried cessing printed materials. “I also to work as effectively as possible. struggled to work efficiently from Having young children often meant working late or early hours of the mornhome, while having to take care of my children. I managed to access books directing. Good communication among family ly from the publishers, and I also members is vital to maintain effeccalled on peers to assist where tive working hours.” “I have a good support structure, necessary. I found assistance from But, of course, she is keenly aware which allows quality time to work a caretaker to look after my chilthat the burden of coping falls disproportionately on women in our dren during parts of the day, espeand maintain some balance.” cially in the mornings.” society. “I think that women, but es-
