Gays can join ANC Women ’ s League
VIRGINITY TESTS ALSO GET BACKING AT CONFERENCE
THE ANC Women’s League has resolved to grant membership to men who have changed gender to become women.
The move may be viewed as progressive, but the league could in turn be criticised for flip-flopping on virginity inspections and testing of young girls.
The resolution to give transgender men membership came from the social development commission, one of the policy discussion forums at its elective conference.
The conference, which ended on Saturday, elected Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini as league president.
A delegate who tried to object to the adoption of the resolution, citing the exclusion of gays in the league ’ s constitution, was defeated during a heated debate behind closed doors.
The organisation ’ s constitution states that membership of the women ’ s league shall be open to “all women ” who are members of the ANC and aged 18 or above.
It also says the league is a democratic “women ’ s organisation ” which is non-sexist and opposed to all forms of discrimination and chauvinism along tribal, religion and ethnic lines.
Pammy Majodina, the national executive committee member who chaired the social development commission, yesterday confirmed the league ’ s resolution on gay men.
“But this must find expression in the constitution, indeed it warrants amendments for it to be fully implemented thereafter.”
The constitution would have to be amended for the resolution to be fully implemented, said Majodina, the Eastern Cape sports, arts and culture MEC.
The decision, which was never part of the league ’ s internal debates, is likely to surprise those who follow its politics.
The league never discussed the transgender issue. At its policy conference last year, in preparation for the policies to be discussed at the weekend conference, the transgender membership issue was not raised.
But the policy conference did resolve to abolish the virginity testing of young girls.
The policy conference said the practice was used as a yardstick to make men pay more for lobola when they marry girls who are virgins.
At the time, it was also argued that virginity testing was problematic as it reinforced patriarchy in society. The league has since made an about-turn.
Explaining the change of direction, Majodina said the elective conference – in contrast to the policy-gathering one – was the highest decision-making body within the league and could overrule the policy conference.
“It resolved to make virginity testing a matter of choice on condition that it does not hurt nor embarrass the girl child. No child must be forced to [do] this.”
Virginity testing is popular in rural KwaZulu-Natal and the league ’ s leaders from that province had been lobbying for the national structure to recognise the cultural significance of the practice. Some villages in the Eastern Cape also practise it.
The newly elected national executive committee is yet to consider the resolutions and include them as part of the conference report.