Young Bay leader is an agitator for change

You have to work twice as hard. Be careful; not too emotional.

Prove you are competent, regardless of what it says about your experience on paper.

A female leader must face these burdens every day.

During the #FeesMustFall campaign, women took centre stage and were at the forefront of the movement, with some embracing the feminist label.

Nelson Mandela University student leader Thandeka Tshabalala, 24, is one of those challenging patriarchal norms and sexism as a student activist.

“A lot of young people who led [the #FeesMustFall movement] are encouraging us to take the leap and become leaders in our own right, and those who led before us are telling us they support us and are fighting to ensure that feminism is understood,” Tshabalala said.

In 1976, female students were deeply involved in the struggle against the discriminatory education system of the time but they were not seen as key players.

Forty years later, we saw key female student leaders such as Nompendulo Mkhatshwa, Shaeera Kalla and Naledi Chirwa emerge from the #FeesMustFall movement and ascend to parliament.

Speaking about the #FeesMustFall movement, Tshabalala described it as a watershed moment in the country’s history where students across SA spoke with one voice in their fight for free education.

“As traumatic as it may have been for many of us, it was the biggest show of collectivism by young people in my time.

“It was more multi-layered than we thought or how it appeared.

“The role female activists played was amazing because they were on the frontline; they mobilised us; made sure that, if someone was injured, they were offered temporary health services,” she said.

“We saw even conservative students coming to the fore and it was encouraging.”

The BCom accounting student recalled how student leaders held meetings until 4am planning for the day ahead and how those who supported the movement would wake up at 5am to block the entryway to the university.

Issues Tshabalala is championing include educating people on and eradicating genderbased violence, student mental health and free education.

“Free education is very important,” she said.

“When we talk about it, we talk about building a nation, ensuring transformation.

“We also speak about the process of decolonisation, class bias and inequality.”

Regarding gender-based violence, she said women’s bodies had been abused for too long.

“We’ve seen how, over the years, young women have been coerced into relationships with older men so they can afford toiletries, sustain themselves throughout varsity, or students sleeping with lecturers for marks.

“For the past two years we’ve been calling for change in relation to gender-based violence,” Tshabalala said.