By YvetteFloss
It is the month of August and South Africans from all corners of the country have come together to celebrate the nurturers, teachers and givers that are women. This past Woman’s day i took some time out and reflected on the powerful women I love and respect. The likes of Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini- Zuma, Oprah Winfrey, Joyce Banda and my own mother, Mrs. Ntombizodwa Mhlauli. All of these women are strong, black, female pioneers, and these are just a few examples out of many around the world. Looking at this list of names, i couldn’t help but wonder why is it that women don’t rule the world? What is holding us back? As a young, black African woman, it has been clear from my teen years that men have created a division between women based on sexual prowess, and this is just a tool that men use to divide us, conquer us and keep us at a minority. I remember watching stand-up comedy that Chris Rock did where he essentially asked why women don’t rule the world because we are smart, nurturing, great speakers and excellent problem solvers. But what he did mention is that women don’t rule the world because women HATE other women. We cannot WORK together.
Watching the piece that Rock did made me realize that humans are competitive creatures by evolution, but women especially more than men. Women will compete with each other over everything, whether it be at school over who can get the hottest boy, at parties over who will wear the best dress or even eKasi over which neighbor will have the best Tupperware or dining room suite. Subconsciously, women even compete with each other over the attention of men. So when I see a woman calling another woman degrading names just because she is wearing a revealing dress and looks damn fly in it, i just sit and wonder what the world would be like if, instead of competing over everything, women actually stood together and supported each other. Sadly, that day has not come and until it does, women will never rule the world.
