After its pre-launch rally last week, the Wits ANC Women’s League has signed up 70 members and is raring to go.
Focusing on the importance of “women organising themselves”, the ANCWL has already held a “political school” on campus which was open to both male and female students.
Lebogang Wolf, coordinator of the Wits ANCWL, says the league wants to dismantle patriarchy in all its forms on campus.
“We are the loudspeakers that will ensure that women’s voices on campus don’t go unheard and will be providing all women on campus the platform to express themselves without fear of intimidation or judgment,” she added.
The ANCWL believes that women, when coordinated, can combat any issue.
“When united, women can bring about true change, true equality and true democracy, starting right here with the ANCWL on campus,” said Wolf.
Third year student Nompumelelo Ntuli says the time is ripe for the ANCWL to be formed on campus.
“The ANC needs a new wave of women leaders. If it’s not going to start at Wits with the ANCWL, where will it start?
“We cannot rely on women who are comfortable in their positions as ministers and have forgotten to groom the next generation,” she says.
Wolf says the league’s membership comprises women from different societies on campus “who seek an end to the oppression that women are generally subjected to”.
She expressed concern about the lack of female leaders in university structures such as the SRC, adamant that there is still more room for women leadership.
“When we look at the ratio of female candidates to male candidates in this year’s SRC election we can see that males are the ones that are prominent. I’m very certain there is quality leadership among Wits female students who are very well capable of holding these positions that seem to be generally occupied by males.”
The league says its monthly publication Imbokodo will provoke readers to think about political issues and inspire students to get involved in activism on campus.
