December 18, 2007

Time Flies

Christine James

It seems unbelievable that a year has passed since South Africa’s last National Women’s Day. Like the months between Christmases, the time goes too quickly. Even more unbelievable is that, while we’ve been given this holiday - supposedly a celebration of women and their rights, as entrenched in the constitution - we’ve made so little progress in the past year.

Now, and Then

By Joan Knapp

In 1945, after World War Two, women felt that they had more freedom than they’d had before. They had worked in factories making aircraft, learned the basics of engineering, helped in shipyards; building much needed ships for the navy. They had manned ack-ack guns and served with all three armed forces - Army, Navy and Airforce. In fact, they had proved to be just as capable as their menfolk. But we were still classed as the weaker sex and, let’s be truthful about it, second class citizens.

Is Matriarchy A Possible Solution?

Sumit Roy

The social practice of matriarchy is really quite logical. Before the advent of DNA tests, no one could dispute who the mother of a child was. So if you want to be really sure that your inheritance is passed on, the mother is in a distinctly better position to do this because of the biological nature of giving birth. With ownership of property came economic power and some surprisingly healthy side effects for women ...and for men.

June 05, 2006

Talking Point-Interview with RAWA - September 1999

Alex Grace

RAWA: The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), is the sole political and feminist organization of Afghan women and was established in 1979 under Meena’s leadership. It struggles against fundamentalism of all kind and desires a society based on freedom, democracy and women rights.

Jean Batten - Heroine of the Sky

Yvonne Eve Walus

Today, with the entire world at our fingertips, it’s difficult to imagine that there was a time when long-distance air travel was a heroic deed. But back in the thirties, the pioneer aviators flew at low altitudes in the midst of adverse weather, alone, without radio, relying only on the most rudimentary equipment. Some of the pioneers were women.