Statement on the passing of Winnie Madikizela Mandela
IJR mourns the passing away of ‘Africa’s first lady’, Nomzamo Winifred Madikizela-Mandela, an unapologetic stalwart in the fight against apartheid’s racist and unjust policies and structures.
IJR welcomes the sentencing of Vicki Momberg noting that more needs to be done to #RootOutRacism
The IJR welcomes the court’s verdict and sentencing of Vicki Momberg by the Randburg Magistrate court. The IJR also applauds the country’s justice system for finally viewing racism as a crime appropriate of a jail term and not a mere fine.
Learners on gender: “Our vision is a gender fluid society”
ACTIVATE! Change Drivers, in partnership with the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) and Africa Unite, hosted a Gender and Gender Based Violence Hackathon with young community members who were predominantly learners from several high schools in the Western Cape.
International Women’s Day – An IJR statement
Gender justice can do without only the symbolism that accompanies International Women’s Day, and include effective legislation that are sensitised to the complex challenges faced by marginalised genders and sexual identities.
Rethinking Reconciliation: Evidence from South Africa is now available online
The IJR, in partnership with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), produced this milestone publication of the IJR’s SA Reconciliation Barometer project. This volume uses a decade of public opinion survey data to answer key questions about the extent of progress in South African reconciliation.
What now? Ethiopia’s leaderless quandary
Two African countries experienced a break-up this Valentine’s Day. Two resignations, that of President Jacob Zuma in South Africa and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. Ethiopia is at a tipping point, as anti-government protests and demonstrations have increased since late 2015, crippling the country and prompting alarm in the coalition government.
German and Colonial Hypocrisy: “Mysterious Circumstances?” I think not
On 31st March 2007, the Namibian government constructed a memorial plaque in remembrance of the indigenous OvaHerero and Nama peoples. Kimal Daniel Harvey notes that this gross discrimination towards Africa and its people must end; otherwise this perpetrates the legacy of the multiple crimes against humanity that were committed on the African continent
Deep-seated homophobic violence & undoing systems of hatred in South Africa
The lived reality of queers is one that remains of great concern, many have argued that the constitutional developments of early democracy resulted in advances in protecting the LGBTQIA+ community in SA. Writes Jodi Williams, stating that our failure to intensify the fight against deep-seated homophobia will have detrimental consequences for the future of queers.
Inxeba rejects the dehumanization of queer bodies on television
The decision taken by the Appeal Tribunal of the South Africa Film and Publication Board (FPB) to ban the film, Inxeba from mainstream South African cinemas poses yet another threat to queer representation on television. The lack of representation erases the social existence of queer bodies and it legitimises social stereotypes about minorities. Siphokuhle Mkancu shares his views on the poor representation of queer bodies on traditional media platforms.
Applying intersectionality to our climate change response
Climate change and its effects are not gender neutral. A 2007 study from the London School of Economics found that natural disasters are more likely to kill womxn than men, and that the disparity is largest where womxn are the poorest. Additionally, womxn are frequently excluded from the policy and decision-making processes for climate change initiatives and solutions. There are few and shallow attempts at practicing intersectionality in mainstream responses to climate change. Danielle Hoffmeester, a Gender Justice and Reconciliation Project Officer at IJR, notes that we cannot reduce and eliminate man-made climate change without simultaneously advocating for gender justice.