OPINION | Carla Watson: Social change requires supported educating of our girls and women | News24

The author argues that for hundreds of years, the education of boys and men was prioritised at the expense of girls and women. (File)

Educating girls and women is often undervalued and is becoming critical to ensure social change, writes Carla Watson, Head of Graduate Teaching Fellowship at the Jakes Gerwel Fellowship.

Beyonce had it right, who runs the world? Girls. But, if girls run the world, where’s the space for boys and men?

The works of South African fiction author Lauren Beukes and American writer Christina Sweeney-Baird describe an imagined reality of no men but, in the context of social change, this is not a pragmatic approach either. Boys and men have their role to play but have had their inevitable seat at the table for far too long.

South Africa, along with other societies, has lived and grown up to the outdated beat of the drum of the patriarchy. Societies have listened, learned and then decided to live to a different rhythm. But, an equitable society demands the education of all.

Often undervalued is the role and influence of girls and women in positions of leadership to drive social change.

This stems from the inherited educational systems of oppression that South Africa carries. At a schooling level the Department of Basic Education 2019 report indicated that more girls completed matric than their male counterparts. However this metric has to be considered alongside additional contexts and lived experiences.

Mindshift needed 

In particular, in South Africa, around 7.1 million people live with HIV/AIDS. This carries a side-effect of girls and women dropping out of school to assume the role of care-givers. At a university graduate level, while women dominate studies in education, they are far outnumbered within the Science, Engineering and Technology sector and in Business and Commerce compared to men.

In order for women to play an effective and relevant role in building the future, a mindset shift is necessary.

Esteemed researcher, educational leader and former Director of Independent Schools in South Africa (ISASA) Dr Jane Hofmeyr, offers these crucial strategies to girls and women as leaders for social change, “Educate yourself to become an expert in the area of your passion. To achieve success, lead with integrity and build a strong team. The best outputs are produced through teamwork.” 

READ | Opinion: Arlys van Wyk: Should many South African students struggle with maths and accounting?

As identified by the fifth Sustainable Development Goal on Gender Equity, women leaders value the challenge of the status quo and demand agility and relevance to the contemporary needs of those whom they lead.

In support of being relevant, Zimkhitha Peter, CEO of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Endowment offers this advice, “You are the gift to contribute to the world. Be clear of your personal vision for impact, break the shadows of the status quo and step into your own potential. Education is a toolbox to sharpen your skills, vision and impact. Most importantly, don’t leave yourself out of your own growth. When put in charge, take charge, and not just for the sake of being in charge but so you can courageously follow your convictions in creating impact in the service of others.”

Vehicle for change 

Fortunately, there are organisations within South Africa that recognise the need for supported educating of girls and women together with boys and men, meaning that perspectives are shifting.

More and more people realise that the classroom truly is the vehicle for change and that qualifying high-impact change-makers as high school teachers is the first step in challenging historic oppression.

The approach taken by The Jakes Gerwel Fellowship is one focused on developing an equitable society to serve boys and men, along with girls and women, through a high-quality development programme to build a change-making cohort of future expert leaders, educational leaders and social entrepreneurs. This is seeing great success as candidate fellows emerge from the programme ready to step into their role as empowered educators, and could perhaps be the blueprint for other organisations wishing to create the same levels of impact within our society.

For hundreds of years, the education of boys and men was prioritised at the expense of girls and women. Education is often described to be beyond the subject content, with teachers often being described as community leaders. The investment in the education of girls and women is how we can significantly drive social change.

– Carla Watson is the head of Graduate Teaching Fellowship at the Jakes Gerwel Fellowship.

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