CAUSES OF GENDER BASED DISCRIMINATION

Sir,

It is evident that women have historically been subjected to legal and patriarchal discrimination. Some of this discrimination has been based on cultural stereotypes that cast women primarily in the roles of wives and mothers, nurses and caretakers.

What really are the sources of gender- based discrimination? Allegations and reports have been focusing mainly on the results of discrimination. If abuse were a disease, it would be like we are focusing on the symptoms rather than the cause of the disease itself. It is important to tackle the issue from the source and then treat the symptoms later, better yet, eliminate the source, so that we won’t have to deal with the symptoms.

We have established that our culture is one of the main causes of gender discrimination. Challenges for women begin in childhood. Young girls are brought up to believe that they are only suited for certain professions, that their brothers are more important, as girls are the weaker sex. And in no doubt, as young Swazi girls we can testify that we were brought up aware that we are a source of wealth for our family and the training we get at home is supposed to prepare us for marriage.

Traditional practices such as polygamy, payment of lobola and child marriages are all perpetuators of gender violence as they reduce women to sub-human assets belonging to men. We feel that, consequently, this compels women to stay and withstand abusive husbands, in the fear that if they were to go back home what will society say?

How will their father ever pay back the bride price, and what if the family does not accept them back? We are now even scared of engaging in relationships, dating and courting, because as young women with values and principles we do not stand abuse from our counterparts and, therefore, are often labelled as ‘failures’ or ‘too demanding’, really, what price can one attach to respect and consideration for one’s feelings?

Such practices reinforce the inferior status of women in society and continue to violate their rights and this has serious implications on the achievement of gender equality in society.

Nothando Dlamini

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