We can use education to counter backlash. Backlash against women’s rights occurs due to several factors, including limited knowledge. Our work as Women’s Action Group, and my advocacy plan as a WOSSO fellow, focuses on educating communities about women’s rights, with a specific focus on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights.
Education is a powerful strategy for countering backlash because education exposes us to factual information about women’s rights. Educating the public about women’s rights inspires critical thinking and challenges misconceptions. Most traditional communities in Zimbabwe have a deep-seated belief that women’s rights are un-African, anti-Christian and are a threat to masculinity. On the contrary, most African cultures (especially those from the Southern region) value Ubuntu – the belief that I am because you are. The Ubuntu principle emphasises respect and dignity for all, regardless of gender, age, or economic status. Same with women’s rights. Religion preaches love and care for others. We are told not to kill others, just like women’s rights defenders stand against femicide. Women’s rights promote women’s empowerment, which comes in different forms: economic, social and political. When a woman is economically empowered, she is able to cater to her immediate needs, such as buying sanitary ware and accessing reproductive healthcare services. When a woman is socially empowered, she can use her voice to influence change at home, in her community, and in government.
Women’s participation in politics is crucial because women are equal citizens of our countries and must play an equal role in making decisions that affect our well-being as citizens. Misconceptions about women’s rights being anti-men stem from the misconception that women cannot lead, when in fact, women can lead, are leading and will continue taking up space.
Misconceptions and misinformation paint women’s rights with a dirty brush, making it difficult for some members of religious and traditional institutions to support women’s rights. Education is the solution. Women’s rights are human rights. The right to education, healthcare, dignity and participation in public life. The right to run for political positions and influence the formulation and implementation of national policies. Education allows us to rewrite the narrative.
Education empowers communities to identify challenges, develop solutions, implement them, monitor, and evaluate. This enables communities to own their realities and develop local solutions, therefore building strong movements that are resilient and able to counter backlash. Education equips communities with an understanding of the root causes of backlash, therefore enabling them to develop relevant tools for countering it. In essence, education inspires action and has the power to transform passive community members and those who oppose women’s rights into active protectors and champions of women’s rights.
This can be beautifully explained through the ‘Spectrum of Allies’ tool that can be utilised in non-violent campaigns to map out societal groups based on their position on a particular subject, women’s rights in our case. The tool can help us classify community members into 3 groups: Pro-Women’s Rights, Neutral, and Anti-Women’s Rights. We first have to understand that every individual has a reason for being positioned anywhere within the spectrum, and establish whether they are a passive or active proponent or opponent. It’s essential to educate the neutral group to inspire them to become active supporters of women’s rights, while also targeting active opponents to become neutral and eventually become proponents.
Each process takes time, because it involves unlearning deep-rooted, misogynistic and sexist beliefs while learning about the goodness of gender equality and supporting women’s rights. Education is a powerful variable that can inspire these shifts. You may be thinking, Do all groups eventually shift towards being active supporters of women’s rights? The answer is that the masses will shift, but others will remain opponents. Not everyone has the capacity to learn and unlearn. Also, new babies will be born, and depending on how they are socialised, they will either become proponents or opponents of women’s rights, meaning efforts to educate the public on women’s rights should never end – aluta continua, comrades!
Backlash is a threat to the full realisation of women’s rights. Education is a tool that can transform minds and inspire positive action towards equality and opportunities for all. Here is a challenge to you if you are reading this blog. Identify where you stand on the Spectrum of Allies. Are you an active or passive supporter of women’s rights? Are you a passive or active opponent of women’s rights? Suppose you are a passive supporter and are inspired to become an active one. In that case, I highly recommend that you conduct a mapping exercise of the women’s rights organisations within your area and find out how you can become a member, so that you contribute towards collective action. Like the old saying goes: if you want to go fast – go alone, but if you want to go far – go with others. If you are an opponent of women’s rights, I would like to invite you to identify whether you are passively or actively against women’s rights. Write your reasons down on a piece of paper, and store it somewhere safe. Afterwards, I invite you to read as many blogs as you can about what women’s rights are and are not (I have shared links to my favourite reads). When you are ready, revisit the reasons, and hopefully, you will have a different insight.
(Written by Vimbai R. Nyika, WOSSO Fellow from Zimbabwe, Programs Officer at Women’s Action Group)
What are Women’s Rights? — Strategic Advocacy for Human Rights – SAHR
Women’s Rights – Amnesty International
Why girls’ rights matter for everyone | UNICEF Europe and Central Asia