Indima Ethuthukisiwe Yabesifazane Ezikhathini Zanamuhla
EMUVA ngo-1906 uMbusi waseRashiya uNicholas wamukela isicelo esivela kwabesifazane abaphansi, phakathi kwezinye izinto, esasithi:
“Sekudlule iminyaka eminingi abesifazane besigaba esiphansi bephila bengenalungelo ngisho nelokubika . . . Asicatshangelwa ngisho nanjengabantu, kodwa njengezilwane nje zokuthwala. Sifuna ukufundiswa ukuzifundela nokubhala; sifuna ukuthi amadodakazi ethu anikezwe amathuba okufunda afanayo nawamadodana ethu. . . . Siyazi ukuthi asifundile, kodwa akumelwe sisolwe.”
Lesosimo esidabukisayo sihluke ngempela encazelweni enikezwa yiBhayibheli yowesifazane okhutheleyo nohlonishwayo limbonakalisa njengesibonelo esifanele ukulingiswa nokudunyiswa. (IzAga 31:10-31) Nokho, incazelo evela eRashiya ibonisa iqiniso eliseBhayibhelini elashiwo kudala iNkosi uSolomoni: “Lapho umuntu ebusa omunye kube-ngukulimala kwakhe.” (UmShumayeli 8:9) Eqinisweni lokho kulimala akulinganiselwe emadodeni kuphela. Lelivesi lingahlanganiswa ngomqondo obanzi njengelithi: ‘Amadoda aye abusa amanye amadoda nabesifazane kwaba ukulimala kwabo.’ Kodwa yeka ushintsho oluye lwenzeka kwabesifazane abaningi, njengoba isimo saseRashiya sibonisa!
Namuhla, “iningi lodokotela nothisha baseRashiya bangabesifazane. Abesifazane bahlanganisa cishe izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zengqikithi yenani lezazi zezomnotho kanye nezingxenye ezintathu kwezine zezisebenzi zentuthuko yesizwe. Amaphesenti angamashumi amane alabo abasebenza kwezesayensi angabesifazane . . . Enkulungwaneni ngayinye yabesifazane abahileleke kwezomnotho zesizwe, abangama-862 banemfundo ephakeme noma ephakathi (ephelele noma engaphelele).”—Women in the USSR.
Abesifazane Kwezombangazwe
Lokho okuye kwenzeka eRashiya kuye kwenzeka ngesilinganiso esikhulu noma esincane kwamanye amazwe amaningi. Emuva ngo-1893, isizwe sokuqala esanikeza abesifazane ilungelo lokuvota kwakuyiNew Zealand. Phakathi no-1917 no-1920, banike zwa lelolungelo eRashiya, eGreat Britain, eUnited States, naseCanada. ESwitzerland kwadingeka balinde kuze kube u-1971, nakuba abesifazane baseSwitzerland babengaba nezikhundla kwezombangazwe.
Namuhla, abesifazane abavoti nje kuphela kodwa bancintisana namadoda ngezikhundla zezombangazwe. I-Israyeli yaba nondunankulu wesifazane, uGolda Meir, futhi kwaba njalo nange Ndiya, uIndira Gandhi. Muva nje, abesifazane baye bakhethwa njengondunankulu eGreat Britain naseYugoslavia. EMkhandlwini wePhalamende waseRashiya, abangama-492, noma abaphakathi kwamaphesenti angama-30 nangama-40, bangabesifazane. Owesifazane manje uyilungu leNkantolo ePhakame yaseU.S., futhi emkhankasweni wobongameli ka-1984, ngokokuqala owesifazane wangenela ukhetho lokuba yiphini likamongameli wenhlangano enkulu yezombangazwe. EFrance kuzo zonke izikhundla zomkhandlu kahulumeni abesifazane bakwezingamaphesenti ayi-15.
Abesifazane Emsebenzini
Esikhundleni sezimpawu ezifundeka ngokuthi” Amadoda Asebenzayo,” eziningi manje eUnited States sezifundeka ngokuthi “Abantu Abasebenzayo.” Kungani? Kungenxa yoshintsho endimeni yabesifazane emkhakheni wezomnotho. Inani labesifazane abasebenza ngaphandle kwamakhaya liye laphindeka kabili eminyakeni engama-25 edlule. Emuva ngo-1970 abesifazane babesemisebenzini yasemahhovisi engamaphesenti angama-27; eminyakeni eyi-14 kamuva, abesifazane babekwe ngamaphesenti angama-65 yayo. Kwabanye, ukusebenza kuyisidingo esingokwezomnotho; kwabanye, kuwukuzithandela nje. Kwezinye izindawo, iholo lamadoda nabesifazane abenza imisebenzi efanayo liya ngokuya lilingana.
Kwezemfundo, Kwezobuchwepheshe, Nakwezenkolo
Cishe kuwo wonke umhlaba, abesifazane baye benza intuthuko ephawulekayo ngokuphathelene nemfundo. Inani labesifazane ezikoleni liye landa lisukela ezigidini ezingama-95 ngo-1950 liya ezigidini ezingama-390 ngo-1985. ESpain eminyakeni engama-25 edlule, abesifazane abangafundile babephindwe kabili kunamadoda. Ngo-1983 isimo sasithuthuke kangangokuba amaphesenti angama-30 abafundi basekholiji kwakungabesifazane. IWomen in Britain ibika “ukwanda okuphawulekayo kwenani labesifazane abangabafundi baseyunivesithi besikhathi esigcwele.”
Eminyakeni eminingi, abesifazane baye baphawuleka ngokuvelele emkhakheni wezomculo njengabaculi abangabodwa, abacula ngakho kokubili amaphimbo abo nangezimfijoli. Kodwa eUnited States ngaphambi kuka-1935, okuwukuphela kwabesifazane ababedlala kumaorchestra kwakungabashayi behabhu, ingxenye amadoda ayebonakala eyigwema. Ngokuphambene, namuhla amaphesenti angama-40 alabo abadlala eqenjini elikhulu, lesifunda, neledolobha elikhulu labadlali beorchestra angabesifazane.
Kuye kwaba nokwanda okufanayo emkhakheni wenkolo. Abesifazane abaningi baye babhalisa emakholiji ezenkolo, kangangokuba eUnited States amaphesenti asukela kwangama-29 kuya kwangama-52 alabo bafundi angabesifazane. Abesifazane baya emapulpiti, futhi kunabafundisi bamaJuda abangabesifazane. Cishe amaphesenti ayi-11 abefundisi baseSweden angabesifazane, futhi kunabapristi besifazane baseSheshi eMpumalanga. IThe New York Times (February 16, 1987) yathi “kunabesifazane abamisiwe abangama-968 beSonto laseSheshi.”
Kube Namuphi Umphumela?
Ngakho akukho kungabaza ukuthi isimo sabesifazane siye sashintsha ngokuphawulekayo ezikhathini zamuva. Kungenzeka uye wazibona noma wazizwa ngokomuntu siqu lezizinguquko. Kodwa kumelwe kuphakanyiswe umbuzo: Ingabe zonke lezozinguquko ziye zaba yizibusiso ezingenazo izici ezimbi?