Overview
ESSAY PROMPT (600-900 words)
The increasing involvement of South African girls and young women in the 1980s liberation struggle reflected their unique experiences, goals, and sacrifices. Utilizing the sources below, discuss the triple oppression of women as workers, as blacks, and as women. How did women see their role within the anti-apartheid struggle? How did those gendered experiences differ from those of boys and young men? Be sure to bring in the voices and stories of specific people and use short quotes to bring your story to life.
SOURCES (read them in this order)
- The two chapters in the Bridger book from our previous class.
- “South African Women: Systematic Oppression – Unyielding Resistance,”
- Short Documents in D. Gordon, Apartheid in South Africa: A Brief History With Documents:
- Frene Ginwala, National Liberation and Women’s Liberation, 1986, 103-104
- Emma Mashinini, Push Your Arse! 1989, 146-148
- Diary of a Thirteen-Year Old Schoolgirl from Soweto, 1982, 148-151.
- NOW Newsletter, 1985 (there's SOOOO much good stuff you can pull out of here, including the poem, “Mother, Woman: The Revolution is You,” on the last page)
- Winnie Mandela
- Brief biography (pdf)
- “In Her Own Words” - Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (11’)
- PLEASE USE THE HOURGLASS ESSAY METHOD