The “Empowering Women in Union Leadership” project aimed to train women in LAT and LTTU on gender equality in an effort to prepare them for strategic leadership positions in both unions. One of the project objectives was to increase the knowledge and understanding of gender equality issues among union leaders in order to enhance political will and commitment to gender equality. The project, which was consistent with the overall objectives of the African Women in Education Network, had intended outputs which included empowered women union leaders, freedom in equality in taking up union leadership positions, and growing education in gender equality within the teaching profession. The impact can be measured by the amount of women elected in the unions in upcoming years.
Activity 1 of the project included a presentation on gender equality given by an LAT intern named Rideau Haskins, who is studying International Development and Feminist and Gender Studies at the University of Ottawa in Canada. The presentation started with the definition of key terms: gender equality, sexism, and feminism; and highlighted some inequalities faced by women around the globe. Then, Rideau played a TED Talk given by Nigerian feminist writer Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie entitled “We Should All Be Feminists.” This TED Talk is about her experiences with gender inequality as a woman in Africa and ways that society could improve so that our culture is more gender inclusive.
Then, we talked about the feminist movements in Canada and Rideau’s experience with gender equality and activism towards women’s rights. The explanation of the three waves of feminism in Canada showed how far Canadian women have come, how they achieved their goals, and gave inspiration to the women in attendance. The conversation then switched over to gender equality in Lesotho, specifically gender issues within education. We also discussed the benefits that women in leadership positions can bring not just to other women, but to entire communities.
The presentation ended with ways for the women in attendance to move forwards. Rideau shared organizations that benefit women in Southern Africa, and gave this advice: support other women, seek out every opportunity or create your own opportunities, and speak up against injustices.
The women in attendance then had a chance to discuss with Rideau and give feedback. They said that they were particularly inspired by the words of Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie. They also said that they had not considered themselves feminists beforehand, but they were proud to now call themselves feminists. We then discussed how gender roles are taught to children through systems of power in a culture; women can reinforce negative gender roles by teaching them to their children because it’s all that they have been taught. However, this is not the fault of these mothers because their children and themselves are also taught about gender roles through other social systems like school, workplaces, and the media, which are mostly run by men. This cycle can change when more women enter into leadership positions.
The project was successful because it educated the women participating about gender equality and gender issues and enhanced their commitment to gender equality. The success of this project can be measured by the fact that the participants identified as feminists after the presentation. Their newfound empowerment combined with the other teachings that occurred during the project about leadership positions within unions will ensure that they seek out more leadership positions within their respective unions. The gender equality presentation was also in line with the overall objectives of the African Women in Education Network, which, among other objectives, aims to end gender discrimination in education.
