For the next eight Sunday’s, Phinah Kodisang, broadcaster Kgomotso Matsunyane as well as activists Thando Gumede and Nyiko Shikwambane will be presenting a local talk show on SABC2 focusing on women empowerment. The ladies will be tackling old and deeply-rooted systems of power that cut across custom, class, culture, politics and religion.
It’s A Feminist Thing is brought to you by Soul City Institute (SCI) and explores violence against women through an intergenerational perspective, which engages with “patriarchy” not as a theory, but as a lived reality. The show also explores relationships between women, gives real expression to the ways that women love, support and empower each other, and shows patriarchy’s divisive and destructive power.
The SCI has partnered with SABC Education and the African Women’s Development Fund for the eight-part show.“There’s nothing quite like it on TV, and we hope that the audience will engage with the issues in a meaningful way that will enable us to find lasting solutions which will make a difference in the ordinary lives of South African women. We intend to spark conversations and hope families will watch the show together and take the conversation further in their homes,” said Matsunyane.
The format of the show will include eight thought-provoking public service announcements (PSAs) produced by StoryBoard Productions under the leadership of Pelisa Norman. The PSAs are 1-minute films that will be exploring rape, domestic violence, patriarchy, religion and custom, among others – in a hard-hitting and provocative manner. They will be aired at the beginning and end of each episode.
“I’m proud to be a leader of an organisation that continues to reassess and realign its work, remains relevant, and continues to do ground-breaking work that influences and shapes the lives of millions of children, adults and communities in South Africa and the continent. I look forward to conversations that will be sparked by It’s A Feminist Thing,” said Chief Executive at Soul City, Phinah Kodisang.
She said the show would deliberately avoid political correctness, quashing dissent, or “male-bashing” and deal with the complex issues driving violence in a way that raises debate and challenges audiences to rethink harmful and deep-seated attitudes and beliefs. The talk show was inspired by women’s rage and the spontaneous uprising of young women galvanised into action by the low-grade civil war being waged on the bodies of women, girls and gender-non-conforming people.
The first show will air on SABC2 from the 1st of November 2020 at 18:30. “The show was catalysed by the feminist revolution that took shape as the #TheTotalShutdown, the #SandtonShutdown, and in the protests of women after a 19-year-old University of Cape Town student was tortured, raped and murdered in a Post Office,” concluded Kodisang.
