YES for a woman president, Daily Sun

1.  Illustrate that gender aware writings still exist in the media despite the high number of articles that tend to discredit women’s capabilities as political leaders.

2. Point out a well balanced and argued letter that uses gender aware language.

3. Raise fundamental questions about why women are often denied the opportunity to occupy challenging positions in the political sphere.

4. Remind participants of the important role that women played during the liberation struggle.

Trainer’s notes

The letter, written by a man, is unapologetic about the need to empower women in South Africa. The writer bases his argument on facts by reminding the readers that women have contributed immensely to the country’s political stability. He also rightly states that men have been in leadership for a long time. The writer poses the important question of “what does a woman need to be a president?’ This in itself highlights his belief that women are equal to men and they do not have to prove themselves all the time before they can be trusted to lead the country. The writer shows that he is aware that women are a disadvantaged group, hence his call for their empowerment. He even asks, if this does not happen now, when it is going to happen? Although South Africa’s deputy president is a woman, the writer does not mention it in his article, showing that his interest is in the top post.

 

1. What information do you think could have been added to the letter to support points raised?

2. Is it not enough that South Africa is one of the few countries in the world with a woman as deputy president?

3. What do you understand by the term empowerment?

4. Do you think women should prove themselves first before they are given leadership positions?

5. Do you think having a woman as president will change the plight of women in South Africa?

  

1. Hold a debate, with one side arguing for the need to have a woman president, and the other arguing against. To ensure the debate does not degrade into an argument over stereotypically male and female traits, have the ‘against’ side argue more from the perspective that a person’s sex is irrelevant to the policies they put in place.

2. Have participants create and take a short poll among men and women on the street to see what they think about a man versus a woman president.

 

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