Category: Feminism
The Boys Are Not Alright
Yesterday morning, I woke up after a blisteringly hot evening of tossing turning and negotiating shared bed space with my toddler. I went to the bathroom, sure that my son wouldn’t wake in the 5 minutes I’d be away for him. A few seconds in, I heard a small voice: “Mommy?” “I’m here, I’m just… Read More The Boys Are Not Alright
Master of Some
There’s a clip from an episode of Aziz Ansari’s Netflix show, Master of None, that I like to use when I’m teaching. It depicts his character at a party with friends and co-workers. A random guy approaches one of the party, a black woman, and tries to buy her drink. She politely declines. Afterwards, while she’s walking… Read More Master of Some
The Risky Business of Sexual Violence
When I was in my first year of university, I went, as instructed, to one of my lecturers’ offices to pick up my graded final essay. It was study week and the campus was quiet. I needed the paper to study for the upcoming exam, and had gone to campus specifically to fetch it. The… Read More The Risky Business of Sexual Violence
Of Myths and Men: masculinity and the politics of the personal
A few months ago, I found myself between a philosophical rock and hard place. The cause of my malaise? A stupid Father’s Day-themed diaper ad. The premise of the advert is pretty silly (and you’re welcome to view the offending ad in all its glory above), but the message it carries is that dads are… Read More Of Myths and Men: masculinity and the politics of the personal
14 Million Problems and Mani is Only One
Or is that 800,000 problems? That’s more or less the amount of money that infamous Walter Sisulu University student, Sibongile Mani, spent of the millions that were mistakenly deposited into her account by some hapless financial firm entrusted with the management of National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funds on behalf of her school. Much… Read More 14 Million Problems and Mani is Only One
Representation Matters, but is it enough?
I barely pay attention to superhero/comic book movies unless they are directed by Joss Whedon. So last year’s pre-hype about the new incarnation of Wonder Woman passed me by. I caught the fever this year, however, upon watching the incredible trailer, and feeling that familiar but all too rare thrill of watching the story of a… Read More Representation Matters, but is it enough?
16 and Pregnant in South Africa
A number of years ago, when I was still working in the development sector, I visited an organisation working in an area in Mpumalanga that has high rates of ‘teen pregnancy’. Most of the visit was spent at the local primary school where I met girls as young as 13 who were balancing first-time motherhood and… Read More 16 and Pregnant in South Africa
On thin-skinned drums
They say a thin-skinned drum makes the loudest beat… Tumi Molekane, ‘Yvonne’ Many ages ago, a friend introduced me to South African hip-hop artist, Tumi Molekane. I loved him instantly. His flow is mesmerising and his lyrics are socially conscious and relevant à la Common or Talib Kweli. And although his accent is tinged with faux-American… Read More On thin-skinned drums
The Revolution will not be Likeable*
*Apologies and thanks to Gil Scott-Heron One of my favorite anecdotes from the iconic Tina Fey’s Bossypants concerns the equally iconic Amy Poehler. Poehler is in the Saturday Night Live writers’ room in the middle of a bit. Naturally (this is SNL after all), the bit is gross and graphic: Amy was in the middle of some… Read More The Revolution will not be Likeable*
Rumbi Writes 
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