feminism it’s not a dirty word at all it’s a great word and it’s time Society
it’s a great word and it’s time Society
it’s a great word and it’s time Society reclaimed it so I was 15 years old and
reclaimed it so I was 15 years old and
reclaimed it so I was 15 years old and my sister about 10 when my father said
my sister about 10 when my father said
my sister about 10 when my father said us down to have that talk so you have
us down to have that talk so you have
us down to have that talk so you have two girls growing up in a home in South
two girls growing up in a home in South
two girls growing up in a home in South Africa where there’s a lot happening the
Africa where there’s a lot happening the
Africa where there’s a lot happening the only thing you can do is protect your
only thing you can do is protect your
only thing you can do is protect your girls we were growing up very fast for
girls we were growing up very fast for
girls we were growing up very fast for that matter so he just screams
that matter so he just screams
that matter so he just screams kookaburra macumba Jaco de NOC Aurora
kookaburra macumba Jaco de NOC Aurora
kookaburra macumba Jaco de NOC Aurora supertunia that sandbox and Unreal
supertunia that sandbox and Unreal
supertunia that sandbox and Unreal course simply winning if had had any
course simply winning if had had any
course simply winning if had had any sexual relationship with any man before
sexual relationship with any man before
sexual relationship with any man before I got married she would beat me up so
I got married she would beat me up so
I got married she would beat me up so hard I would write a letter to my family
hard I would write a letter to my family
hard I would write a letter to my family in Zimbabwe you can only imagine how
in Zimbabwe you can only imagine how
in Zimbabwe you can only imagine how scared I was I couldn’t say anything
scared I was I couldn’t say anything
scared I was I couldn’t say anything because in a black family the moment you
because in a black family the moment you
because in a black family the moment you open your mouth to try and speak out she
open your mouth to try and speak out she
open your mouth to try and speak out she called you in immediately labeled as a
called you in immediately labeled as a
called you in immediately labeled as a disrespectful child so I kept all the
disrespectful child so I kept all the
disrespectful child so I kept all the words I had within me inside I remember
words I had within me inside I remember
words I had within me inside I remember my sister and I giggling and just being
my sister and I giggling and just being
my sister and I giggling and just being shy it was funny but then I was very
shy it was funny but then I was very
shy it was funny but then I was very very scared because the way my father
very scared because the way my father
very scared because the way my father screams huh so it continued we signed a
screams huh so it continued we signed a
screams huh so it continued we signed a contract you won’t believe it that we
contract you won’t believe it that we
contract you won’t believe it that we wouldn’t sleep with anyone we signed 15
wouldn’t sleep with anyone we signed 15
wouldn’t sleep with anyone we signed 15 year old me and 10 year old Charlotte we
year old me and 10 year old Charlotte we
year old me and 10 year old Charlotte we signed the contract and I actually don’t
signed the contract and I actually don’t
signed the contract and I actually don’t even remember how my signature looked at
even remember how my signature looked at
even remember how my signature looked at that time because it was just bizarre
that time because it was just bizarre
that time because it was just bizarre and so I just couldn’t stop thinking why
and so I just couldn’t stop thinking why
and so I just couldn’t stop thinking why would my father tell me not to hang
would my father tell me not to hang
would my father tell me not to hang around boys I wanted to know I was 15 I
around boys I wanted to know I was 15 I
around boys I wanted to know I was 15 I was at the peak of my puberty years and
was at the peak of my puberty years and
was at the peak of my puberty years and I wanted to know so bad let’s wear
I wanted to know so bad let’s wear
I wanted to know so bad let’s wear I was in grade 10 and I bumped into a
I was in grade 10 and I bumped into a
I was in grade 10 and I bumped into a song on the internet by beyoncé
song on the internet by beyoncé
song on the internet by beyoncé featuring a profound feminist and author
featuring a profound feminist and author
featuring a profound feminist and author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie I think most of
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie I think most of
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie I think most of you know her and in that song she voices
you know her and in that song she voices
you know her and in that song she voices out the word feminist and from that
out the word feminist and from that
out the word feminist and from that moment I knew I had to go do research
moment I knew I had to go do research
moment I knew I had to go do research because she spoke about it she’s about
because she spoke about it she’s about
because she spoke about it she’s about feminists is a woman as a I’m sorry as a
feminists is a woman as a I’m sorry as a
feminists is a woman as a I’m sorry as a person who believes in the equality
person who believes in the equality
person who believes in the equality between sexes so I knew it triggered
between sexes so I knew it triggered
between sexes so I knew it triggered something I ran to the Internet
something I ran to the Internet
something I ran to the Internet write up everything and almost anything
write up everything and almost anything
write up everything and almost anything my soul cdata could afford at that time
my soul cdata could afford at that time
my soul cdata could afford at that time and from that moment I began feeling
and from that moment I began feeling
and from that moment I began feeling normal again there was a word to explain
normal again there was a word to explain
normal again there was a word to explain my difference my weirdness in that word
my difference my weirdness in that word
my difference my weirdness in that word was feminist from that day onwards I
was feminist from that day onwards I
was feminist from that day onwards I knew I was a feminist now understand
knew I was a feminist now understand
knew I was a feminist now understand this I come from a black family
this I come from a black family
this I come from a black family there’s no feminist in a black family
there’s no feminist in a black family
there’s no feminist in a black family feminists out so I knew that I could
feminists out so I knew that I could
feminists out so I knew that I could only be a feminist from 8 to 4 when I
only be a feminist from 8 to 4 when I
only be a feminist from 8 to 4 when I was with my schoolmates in my friends
was with my schoolmates in my friends
was with my schoolmates in my friends and the moment I stepped into my
and the moment I stepped into my
and the moment I stepped into my father’s house feminist I weekend’s
father’s house feminist I weekend’s
father’s house feminist I weekend’s lucky feminists she didn’t have to work
lucky feminists she didn’t have to work
lucky feminists she didn’t have to work I was a normal girl growing in a black
I was a normal girl growing in a black
I was a normal girl growing in a black family and I had to do chores I had to
family and I had to do chores I had to
family and I had to do chores I had to help out with my how about my mom with
help out with my how about my mom with
help out with my how about my mom with everything she was doing in the house
everything she was doing in the house
everything she was doing in the house because I was being groomed to being
because I was being groomed to being
because I was being groomed to being somebody’s wife one day I was being
somebody’s wife one day I was being
somebody’s wife one day I was being groomed to being somebody’s mother one
groomed to being somebody’s mother one
groomed to being somebody’s mother one day so I had to do my best to be the
day so I had to do my best to be the
day so I had to do my best to be the best mother now we are in a society way
best mother now we are in a society way
best mother now we are in a society way boy and girl plays a big difference
boy and girl plays a big difference
boy and girl plays a big difference and not only in my culture but in every
and not only in my culture but in every
and not only in my culture but in every African culture and I’ll wants to make
African culture and I’ll wants to make
African culture and I’ll wants to make us understand that it shouldn’t be like
us understand that it shouldn’t be like
us understand that it shouldn’t be like that it’s time to call change
that it’s time to call change
that it’s time to call change we shouldn’t label our kids as boy and
we shouldn’t label our kids as boy and
we shouldn’t label our kids as boy and and have this classification of okay
and have this classification of okay
and have this classification of okay boys aren’t allowed to do this and girls
boys aren’t allowed to do this and girls
boys aren’t allowed to do this and girls only allowed to do this how many of you
only allowed to do this how many of you
only allowed to do this how many of you mothers always scream at your little
mothers always scream at your little
mothers always scream at your little girls don’t do stuff like that you’re
girls don’t do stuff like that you’re
girls don’t do stuff like that you’re not gonna get married because my mother
not gonna get married because my mother
not gonna get married because my mother tells me that imagine we letting our
tells me that imagine we letting our
tells me that imagine we letting our kids grow up and being succumb to the
kids grow up and being succumb to the
kids grow up and being succumb to the six ISM it’s a very young age now I’m 20
six ISM it’s a very young age now I’m 20
six ISM it’s a very young age now I’m 20 and three years ago my friend father
and three years ago my friend father
and three years ago my friend father passed away three months down the line
passed away three months down the line
passed away three months down the line she remarried very fast day I don’t know
she remarried very fast day I don’t know
she remarried very fast day I don’t know how that happened three months down the
how that happened three months down the
how that happened three months down the line someone was like hey you look
line someone was like hey you look
line someone was like hey you look gorgeous
gorgeous
gorgeous don’t you want to get married no it
don’t you want to get married no it
don’t you want to get married no it didn’t happen like that she had to be
didn’t happen like that she had to be
didn’t happen like that she had to be taken by her husband’s younger brother
taken by her husband’s younger brother
taken by her husband’s younger brother because that’s how it works in my
because that’s how it works in my
because that’s how it works in my culture we have a practice called Cougar
culture we have a practice called Cougar
culture we have a practice called Cougar nanaka
nanaka
nanaka we the widow’s husband younger brother
we the widow’s husband younger brother
we the widow’s husband younger brother takes her if he’s forcing or even make
takes her if he’s forcing or even make
takes her if he’s forcing or even make her a second wife she can’t say anything
her a second wife she can’t say anything
her a second wife she can’t say anything the moment my mother got married she was
the moment my mother got married she was
the moment my mother got married she was her husband’s property
her husband’s property
her husband’s property she was this and I tried to make my
she was this and I tried to make my
she was this and I tried to make my friend tell me you know I started
friend tell me you know I started
friend tell me you know I started formulating ideas in my head like okay
formulating ideas in my head like okay
formulating ideas in my head like okay when you’re lying to me – your mother is
when you’re lying to me – your mother is
when you’re lying to me – your mother is a cheat because she was clearly having
a cheat because she was clearly having
a cheat because she was clearly having an affair while your father was busy
an affair while your father was busy
an affair while your father was busy fighting for his life in hospital
fighting for his life in hospital
fighting for his life in hospital I became very ignorant I didn’t let her
I became very ignorant I didn’t let her
I became very ignorant I didn’t let her speak it was then that she set me down
speak it was then that she set me down
speak it was then that she set me down and explained what the Hoku got a NACA
and explained what the Hoku got a NACA
and explained what the Hoku got a NACA practice was all about now let me pose
practice was all about now let me pose
practice was all about now let me pose this question does culture give you that
this question does culture give you that
this question does culture give you that option of okay if this guy has AIDS you
option of okay if this guy has AIDS you
option of okay if this guy has AIDS you don’t have to take him if this guy is
don’t have to take him if this guy is
don’t have to take him if this guy is abusive you don’t have to take him if
abusive you don’t have to take him if
abusive you don’t have to take him if this guy is just you can’t afford to
this guy is just you can’t afford to
this guy is just you can’t afford to look off to you you don’t have to take
look off to you you don’t have to take
look off to you you don’t have to take him no he doesn’t you his you their
him no he doesn’t you his you their
him no he doesn’t you his you their property now why
property now why
property now why does our society in our culture or on
does our society in our culture or on
does our society in our culture or on our culture’s most of our cultures in
our culture’s most of our cultures in
our culture’s most of our cultures in Africa why do we do this to our women
Africa why do we do this to our women
Africa why do we do this to our women it’s time that we change this let us as
it’s time that we change this let us as
it’s time that we change this let us as a society allow our women to grow to be
a society allow our women to grow to be
a society allow our women to grow to be dreamers and achievers that they were
dreamers and achievers that they were
dreamers and achievers that they were born to be let’s not limit them whether
born to be let’s not limit them whether
born to be let’s not limit them whether you from Kaiser in whether you have a
you from Kaiser in whether you have a
you from Kaiser in whether you have a modern lifestyle here in Cape Town let
modern lifestyle here in Cape Town let
modern lifestyle here in Cape Town let that not be a label that’s put on you as
that not be a label that’s put on you as
that not be a label that’s put on you as a traditional woman or a modern woman we
a traditional woman or a modern woman we
a traditional woman or a modern woman we all women and it’s time society
all women and it’s time society
all women and it’s time society understands that I’m a FEMINIST
understands that I’m a FEMINIST
understands that I’m a FEMINIST I’m not about bra-burning men hating and
I’m not about bra-burning men hating and
I’m not about bra-burning men hating and not shaving because that’s what most
not shaving because that’s what most
not shaving because that’s what most people think it’s not about that it’s
people think it’s not about that it’s
people think it’s not about that it’s making people understand that women are
making people understand that women are
making people understand that women are strong feminism is about making the
strong feminism is about making the
strong feminism is about making the world understand and perceive the
world understand and perceive the
world understand and perceive the strength of women in a different way
strength of women in a different way
strength of women in a different way we’re strong and we’re women culture I
we’re strong and we’re women culture I
we’re strong and we’re women culture I respect you
respect you
respect you please respect me
please respect me
please respect me [Applause]
”
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