The conversation was fervent and inspired; I was captive to the words that spilled from her lips. As memorable as the entire exchange was, it was the specific anecdote she shared about her grandmother that clung to my memory for a good few days after the interview.
Her grandmother was one of the first women to own and drive a car in Zimbabwe. Yvette chuckled as she described how passers-by would crane their necks from sidewalks and public buses to witness the oddity. This spectacular image, a young African woman taking the liberty to drive herself despite convention, continues to burn in my mind. When Yvette described herself, she emphasised being the descendant of a long line of curious, pioneering women. This legacy continuously shapes her outlook and identity, not in a cliché or idealistic way, but rather instinctively. Both her grandmother and mother were risk-takers of their time. They were women determined to live on their own terms, independent of societal expectations and norms.
When I asked Yvette what her greatest strength was, she said, “I think it is that I am not afraid to start new things.” She smiled. “So what if I fall; I won’t die!” Yvette’s boldness is a breath of fresh air; it ignited boldness within me. Her attitude towards life is that it is one laced in a unique combination of level-headed courage, humility, and humour. In retrospect, the reason Yvette’s story impacted me so greatly was because a realization came intertwined within it. I realized how instrumental even the smallest acts of courage impact those around us. By taking risks and claiming her independence, Yvette’s grandmother forged a new norm that influenced not only the women in her own family, but also those who observed her actions at a distance.
Having recently listened to a speech by author Chimamada Ngozi Adichi, entitled We Should All Be Feminists, I was eager to hear Yvette’s input on the topic. I asked her to describe her interpretation of a modern feminist and to discuss the role of feminism from her own frame of reference. Much like Adichie’s interpretation, Yvette believes that feminism should not exist as a monolith; women should be able to embrace femininity, realizing that it is a strength, not a weakness. It should be a movement that works not only to actively assert women’s equality to men, but also to celebrate the unique advantages that females have in society. Yvette’s interpretation is rooted in her personal faith: “I believe that God is not confined to a single gender,” she explained, “God is composed of characteristics that we understand to be female and male; as humans, we reflect these different components in the genders reflected in society.”
Feminism is a movement rooted in context. Different cultures, countries and individuals embrace different aspects of the movement to best fit their own experience. What I took away from the conversation with Yvette, was how important it is for a movement like Feminism to be applicable, not just conceptual. What stands out to me in Chimamanda’s title, We Should All Be Feminists, is the word “Be” – a verb, an action word. Being something is not simply identifying with a label, it’s a way of life that involves action. Yvette’s grandmother would not have been familiar with the term “Feminist,” and she might not even have described herself as one had she know. Regardless – it was not a label, but her actions, that defined her legacy.
Image Credit: Author, Yvette Makalane, 2