Women will ruin everything!

There are talks in South Africa on passing a law that will introduce gender quotas for traditional leadership councils. In short this means that women will be allowed to rule a tribe. The effects of this law will hopefully be positive in terms of women’s rights, in more than one way, as an increase in the number of women traditional leaders will also dilute the respect and status for/of the chief position. And this is a good thing.

I have observed people (mostly males) commenting that they will not respect women in high leading positions, and that a woman cannot rule. Seeing these statements as a proof of primitive behaviour I believe that some turmoil in traditional thinking, not only in South Africa, is what societies/communities need. The loosing up of some traditions and perceived notions surrounding gender issues might help to bring equality, and thus prosperity and wealth to both women and men.

It might be true, as some would claim, that women will ruin everything. But if this “everything” means a way of living that does not correspond with a modern society, than I really hope they will ruin and bury everything good. The passing of the law might not necessary mean the end of traditional leadership, but I really hope it mean a new way of thinking and the beginning to a modification and modernisation process.

Aftonbladet
The Times The Times