Dimakatso Masopoga - "When I grew up I was told that woman suppose to submit to her man.
A woman should not reason with a man, even if the man doesn't come back home, I shouldn't ask were he was. If he comes back in the middle of the night, I should wake up, go warm up his food and give it to him. In my culture men are idolised and treated like they are gods.
As a woman it does not matter how many times your husband wronged you, you should always stay by him and cover up for his dirt. In my opin
POLOKWANE – The role of women in relationships has evolved over the past few years, with some cultures still believing that women are meant for the kitchen. Review took the time to ask a few people what they thought about cultural gender roles and if they still practice them. This is what they had to say:
Shumani Humi – “A woman must submit to her man, but it does not mean he must disrespect her. If she is bringing something to the table, it should always be appreciated. If a man needs to help his woman he should do so. That is the whole point of a relationship, to help each other and meet halfway.”
Anza Pristine Ndou -“I believe that a man and woman are equal. It should not matter which culture they come from but unfortunately in the Venda culture, women are supposed to be submissive to their husbands. Generally men are treated better than women are. The women are expected to bow down to a man and see him as a superior being. I however feel that the respect given should be reciprocated. Men should not feel entitled to anything. They should work for the respect they demand. It is just sad that it hardly happens.
Emmanuel Moopa – “Gone are the days when women depended on men, although my culture still expects women to be respectful and submissive, there is just something about a woman who knows what she wants in life and is working to get it. It is not possible to still expect a woman to cook just because she is a woman. They are doing the same jobs as us and deserve the same respect.”
Tendani Tshivhula – “As a deeply cultured Venda woman, I still believe a man is the head of the family but with the times we are living in, respect is a two way street. Life has evolved and so has the role of women in relationships. There should not be any gender roles, people should do what they are capable of doing regardless of their gender. Unfortunately it is not being practised in some deep rural areas.”Shamain Muthula – “I do not believe in gender roles and growing up, my grandmother always taught me to work hard so that I would not have to depend on any man. She always spoke of how women were forced into relationships because the men could afford them, but that is no longer the case. Respect is a two way street.”
Donald Kaletsane – “Women in our generation have evolved and have so much to live for but that being said, we cannot deliberately forget about our culture. In most cultures it is that women should always be submissive to their men, as well men should have great leadership towards women so that they can get motivated on what they’re submitting to. This makes it a two way street, a man should be the head of the house, where a woman will be able to submit to. Last but not least, I believe that women should be equally vested as men in a relationship despite cultural beliefs.”
Cedric Muleya – “A woman in my culture resembles the roots of a family tree. That’s where it starts. A woman is a bedrock of generations to come. She puts a family together and maintains a proper growth of her children. In South Africa today, many households are run by women alone, so the importance of women roles cannot be understated. In their hands lies a duty of instilling moral compasses and acceptable behaviour to the children they are raising. In simple terms, all generations go through through the hands of women and that is why I see the need to support and empower women in these duties. Women are significant.”
