Women's Day, Not So Happy

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As we all know, August is a month in which we show appreciation to women in South Africa as we also celebrate them on the 9th of August every year...

My question to you is: Why do we continue to celebrate women, and wish them a "Happy Women's Day" or "Happy Women's Month" when some, if not most of them, are not actually happy, and are living in fear each and every day of their lives? How many women are actually happy? I wish I had the answers to those questions, but unfortunately, I, myself do not have the answers to them.

I know I have written something on women before, but I have noticed how the issue of women being abused, kidnapped, raped and violated against in any form has become a major issue in the country. It has escalated and it does not seem to get any better. Women are still living in fear for their lives.

Women are not the only ones affected by this issue, the men around them are also affected. They constantly have to worry about their wives, girlfriends, friends, siblings, and other relatives making it to work or school safe, and getting back home safe; they have to check up on them almost every hour when they go out with their friends. I for one have to drag my brother or boyfriend along with me wherever I go because I feel unsafe on my own. Being a safety prisoner is not the kind of life I envisioned for myself growing up.

Another thing that came to my attention is that women do not treat each other right, yet they want to work together to fight this plague that surrounds them. You often find women giving each other dirty looks, badmouthing each other, or exchanging words with each other. The only time you will find women being nice to each other is when they are walking alone and they feel like someone is following them, and the only closest person around them to act like a friend is another woman to help them escape another episode of what could be a kidnapping or violation against them.

Women's month starts with women celebrating each other, passing words of wisdom and encouragement to each other, empowering each other, and supporting each other as well, yet we do not do that. We sing Wathint' Abafazi, Wathint' Imbokodo' yet we are not the "imbokodo" that we claim we are. If only we, as women stood together to fight our insecurities, life would be so much better, the men around us would know where to start as well in order to help us fight against the bad things happening around us. But we are too “good” for each other, to work together.

The justice system fails us daily, corruption is upon the law enforcement officers of this country, and there is basically nothing that we can do to protect ourselves except doing something that will probably end us all up in jail should we take the law into our own hands. It is just sad how we face each day with the hope of getting back home safe and unharmed, and living to see another day of life, knowing that our days in this world are numbered due to the crimes that are being committed against us.

We dream of becoming super women, super moms, great wives, great business women etc. but our dreams get crushed each and every day. What is women’s month or women’s day when we do not see the meaning and purpose to it? I seem like I am complaining, pointing out problems, and not coming up with solutions right? That is because I do not know where to start with tackling the problem, so I would like to ask everyone who comes across this blog post what they think should be done to help see the meaning and purpose of celebrating women's day/month again, for those that do not see the point of it anymore?


Comments

  1. Unknown29 August 2018 at 11:25

    It is sad how we have to fear for our lives everyday, it is as if it's illegal being a woman in this country, do these men want to live in a country without women? This just doesn't make sense to me. I agree women should stick together. We often talk about uplifting each other yet everyday you see women tearing one another down. This will not be easy to solve as many women let their insecurities get the best of them and they retaliate by tearing others down. But I hope that women will realize that this is the time to stick together and fight for a better South Africa. Even if it means not voting until the government decides to do some changes with the rights and start practicing death sentence.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dikeledi's Diary29 August 2018 at 11:31

      I agree with you on that one. The more we realise that we actually need each other and stick together, the better. We should not vote until the government implements better structures against gender-based violence indeed, maybe then they will hear our cry and pull up their socks to help the women of this country.

      Delete
  2. Unknown29 August 2018 at 14:17

    Women need to come together as one, start like a club or a place of safety where we can express ourselves and ideas... criminals get away with crime because they in cahoots with the law they think it's ok to victimize us a walk the streets like nothing has happened ,it's about we take a stand against the perpetrators who are out there to hurt us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dikeledi's Diary3 September 2018 at 01:59

      But how do we take a stand against them? How many people will be willing to actually join us in putting a stop to all of this? We need to form a group with girls from all over the country in order to tackle the issue effectively.

      Delete

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