It is not yet freedom for women

Tomorrow is Freedom Day, which marks our first democratic elections held in 1994. Most of us were elated that all eligible citizens were finally given the chance to have a say in how the country is run, by using a ballot paper.

However, in some circles, 27 April is mourned as UnFreedom Day. The initiative was started by Durban’s Abahlali baseMjondolo in 2005 and has evolved into an educational day in which films, discussions and performances play a major role. The annual theme always highlights that the poor are still not free in South Africa.

Another group that would most probably benefit from the sentiments of UnFreedom Day are women in sport, who continue to fight for equality in terms of recognition and remuneration.

Two weeks ago, in collaboration with beauty brand Lux, Volleyball South Africa hosted the Durban Open Beach Volleyball tournament in the South African leg of the Change the Angle initiative. Even in 2023, sexism in sports is still not allowing sportswomen to be free.

The idea is challenging media to change the focus of female sports coverage from one that objectifies female athletes to one that celebrates their sporting talents, like they do their male counterparts.

There have been times when my wife Mpho and I will be watching women’s sports and the camera angles used are unflattering, to say the least. We both lament how the (mostly male) camera operators zoom in on the female athletes’ nether regions for no apparent reason, how they insist on shots that linger on their breasts and how they objectify the ladies.

Men have nether regions as well, but not once are they zoomed into for the whole world to study at a x100 magnification factor.

Female athletes are not yet entirely free from sexism in sports, as even stereotypes are used against them. No matter their prowess, just because a sportswoman looks a certain way or talks in a certain manner, they are stereotyped, which hinders girls and other women’s ability to express their talents and beauty fully.

It is not freedom that some fans attend women’s sports only to objectify the female athletes. It is not freedom if positive beauty is still not being embraced by all of us. It is not freedom if South African women still get paid between 23% and 35% less than their male counterparts for the same role.

Happy UnFreedom Day!