The hard truth
Posted Wednesday, August 01, 2007, 6:32 PM by Lonely Planet
People often cite education and understanding amongst their reasons for travel. Sometimes this means accepting the hard truth that not everyone lives the way they do. It also highlights the importance of optimism and an eagerness to address the imbalance. As a result many travellers find volunteering an important and rewarding experience.
Tom Spurling gives us some background on the Amazwi School of Media Arts where he is volunteering.
"According to a survey conducted by the Media Monitoring Project, in 2005, only 26% of news coverage in South Africa focused on women. Furthermore, the huge majority of this coverage presented women in reference to their families, or as unfortunate victims of crime. This in a country with a nearly 52% female population highlights a discrepancy in gender representation. The old boy's club, it seems, has only changed colour.
Similarly disheartening is the way in which gender stereotypes are upheld by South Africa's influential tabloid press. For every story of witchcraft and fraud, it seems there are two dealing with sexual assault. 'There is a lot of media reporting on rape,' states the Media Monitoring Project report, Who makes the news?, 'but it tends to victimize women or keep them silenced.' The report continues that, on 16 February 2005, a prominent soccer star was charged with raping an underage girl. The married celebrity denied the charge, but much of the media attention was on his celebrity status, rather than the allegations themselves. Likewise, a study in the Rhodes Journalism Review found that 'South Africa's women journalists not only face a glass ceiling, but indeed one made of concrete.'
In light of South African women's mirepresentation in the media, the role of Amazwi, which mean 'voices' in Zulu, is political as much as social. Rural stories struggle to be told in South Africa, as journalists must give precedence to the stories that affect their readers' lives. As scores of men rush for the cities to find employment, many women are left behind, and life goes on unreported.
Yet here in the poor northern province of Limpopo, where news is usually bad, the women of Amazwi are blessed with an added responsibility. Rather than merely entertain the urban middle-classes with the oddities of the outback, they must bring everyday life to the breakfast table of the communities in which they live. It's a tough job, but there's no need to hurry. It's slow news that sometimes burns brightest."
Read more about Tom's experience here.
Share your volunteering experience or for more information on volunteering click here.
Labels: Africa, Sustainable and responsible tourism, Volunteer
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4 Comments:
You quote the statistic that "According to a survey conducted by the Media Monitoring Project, in 2005, only 26% of news coverage in South Africa focused on women."
So, are you suggesting that topics such as foreign relations, world affairs, terrorism, the blood diamond trade and so forth should be pushed aside for more coverage of women's affairs?
Does that really make sense?
You also state that 52% of South Africa's population is women. Well the world population is somewhere between 50.5% and 51% women.
Is this a relevant and useful statistic?
When someone asked Oprah why she opened her Leadership Academy for Women in South Africa, she said
"When you educate a girl, you begin to change the face of a nation".Early pregnancy and AIDS are leading causes of higher number of uneducated women in SA.
Hopefully,the notice of the media will bring these issues to the forefront.
Mala Mukunda
Live The Dream...Tell The Tale
http://www.traveling-stories-magazine.com/
This is interesting reading.
I am a South African who loves to take photos.
http://www.africapic.com
For some time now, the way that other "nations" refer to South Africa and Africa as a whole has frustrated me beyond words. I dont understand the type of thinking that goes on. Our nation (South Africa) is a very young, but a growing one. Certain things take time, its the rule of nature, growth is one of those things. If you really want to see Southern Africa for what it is, try experience it, theres no better educater than experience. Hire a camper van ( http://www.driveafrica.co.za ) and take a look at what you read about and "see" on tv, then only decide.
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