SA Elections 2009 – First wives

Date: January 1, 1970

This series of articles and images portrays the debate in the run-up to South African president, Jacob Zuma’s, inauguration as to whom among his multiple wives would assume the title of “first lady.À

Items analysed:

“Zuma aims for ‘husband of the nation’ with wife number six,” Sunday Independent, 4 Jan. 2009
“I do, I do, I do, I do, says Zuma,” Saturday Star, 17 Jan. 2009
“First lady do no harm,” Saturday Star, 11 April 2009
“One, two, three kinds of first lady,” The Times, 20 April 2009

These articles may be used to:

discuss the role of balanced sourcing;
debate how to sensitively cover cultural practices relating to gender;
illustrate how language can be used to demonstrate gender stereotypes;
highlight perceptions about female political leaders;
raise the issue of polygamy and other cultural practices versus constitution.

Trainers’ notes:

Published before and after South Africa’s 2009 national elections, these articles and photos encapsulate the frenzy of media attention that surrounded Jacob Zuma’s polygamist marriages and what that would mean for the country come time to designate the nation’s “first lady.” However, despite their female focuses, many of these articles showcase common weaknesses in gender awareness.

Women and their voices tend to feature less often in news generally and more often as stereotypes. Four of these articles are purported to be news articles, not commentary, as such they are expected to present a story from all sides, allowing each party mentioned a chance at fair comment. However, none of the women being spoken about are offered a chance to speak in these stories. This exclusion of voices makes the reporting not only gender-blind but also unethical because assertions – such as insinuations about one of the women’s mental health – are printed as fact. In some countries, this might open the journalists and their publications to allegations of libel.

Polygamist marriage, although practiced in cultures around the world, itself remains shrouded in stereotypes – that is somehow morally wrong, that it is driven by the male ego, that women are forced into marriages and suffer. Journalists must be aware of their own stereotypes and biases when covering sensitive cultural issues. The reporter may not agree with the practice but if they are writing news (not opinion or commentary) the must treat the issue fairly, avoiding flippant headlines such as “Zuma aims for ‘Husband of the Nation’ with wife number six.” “Husband of the Nation” although in quotes cannot be attributed to anyone besides the sub-editors and could be interpreted as insulting the sanctity of polygamous marriages. Relationships that may be outside a reporter’s norm whether heterosexual, lesbian, gay or polygamist must be treated fairly and any negative or positive assertions about these relationships or cultural practices must be backed by fact or by the voices of those directly affected. Since the journalists are claiming to be writing news, they also miss an opportunity to more deeply interrogate the practice of polygamy, and what this means in a constitutional democracy.

The language used to describe the women also points to gender stereotypes. Guidelines on gender equality in journalism published by the International Federation of Journalists suggest journalists refrain from using descriptions of women that include their marital or family status as well as physical appearances unless its essential to the story. Here, one could argue that their status as wives, or potential wives, to the president is essential – it is what makes them newsworthy. However, the women’s physical appearances are in no way essential to the story, for example the introduction of Zuma’s fourth wife in “First lady do no harm,” as a “pretty, bosomy and apparently interested in other people’s well-being.” The author then goes onto to blatantly reinforce stereotypes about women as say that “most first ladies share the same urge as beauty queens do charitable deeds.”

Not only do the stories objectify women, but they also say a lot about perceptions about women as leaders. From astronauts to presidents, a number of influential men globally do charitable work but one would be hard pressed to find men like Nelson Mandela being compared to “beauty queens,” a term that denotes someone has been recognised for her beauty not necessarily achievements. Beauty, writes the author, has been the “x-factor” of first ladies and South Africa only has two that could claim it and “they were both Mandela’s,” she says referring in part to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who with or without her beauty was a key figure in South Africa’s liberation. The author neglects to mention that – as far as “wives” go – Madikizela-Mandela was succeeding by Gracia Machel, an international leader in human rights, a member of the panel of eminent people as part of the African Peer Review Mechanism, and former first lady of Mozambique.

Discussion questions

Although not elected into office, what do people expect from presidents’ spouses? Are these expectations gendered?
When is it okay to use descriptions in articles, these could include gendered descriptions of family/marital status or certain physical attributes but also those referring to ethnic identity or skin colour?
How do poor sourcing and gender-bias weaken your reporting? Do you think most people notice? What responsibility do we have as readers to address this kind of work when we see it? Would you boycott a paper for continuously carrying gender-bias reporting?

Training exercises

Find women in relationships marginalised in media including polygamous marriages but also possibly inter-racial or transnational relationships, or same-sex relationships and interview them. What do they say? What’s the story we never hear?
Do research on gender parity in southern Africa. Colour-code a map to show how far countries have come in increasing gender equality in higher levels of business and government as set out in the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development (1997).
Rewrite the story. Find an example of gender-blind reporting that focuses on a woman leader or politician and examine the stereotypes you find within it? Edit out the gender-biased language and stereotypes with a marker and read aloud the words remaining. What does the remaining text tell you? How much story is left?

Other Training Resources

Gender, elections, and media

Gender and Governance

Business Unusual: Gender and the economy

From the Gender and Media Diversity Centre
The great debates: gender equality, quotas, polygamy

Beyond numbers: Gender in political awareness
Botswana at the coalface – women as leaders

Key issues: women in governance in Southern Africa

Click here and search theme "Politics" for more related research on the GMDC database.

Click here and search theme "SA Elections 2008"" for more related VRC case studies.

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