Where's the Money? The Consequences of Globalisation and Finance on two Black Women Students at University of North West

(Paper presented at Association of African Universities African University Day University of North West, South Africa November 12, 2001)

Declaration No. 1 in the Association of African Universities' Declaration on the African University in the Third Millennium states:

African universities must strive to create an institutional environment that fosters the development of the mind and the ennobling of the spirit, inculcating responsible citizenship and the will to serve.

No. 6 states:

To a greater degree than ever before, African universities must renew their commitment to helping Africa find effective solutions to its perennial problems of poverty, hunger and disease ...African universities must be in the forefront of research, education and action in these matters.

On gender, No. 10 states:

African universities need to develop and implement deliberate policies to address social and gender imbalances at all levels within their institutions. In this regard, greater access of women to university education, their employment as academics and management staff, and appointment to leadership positions, as well as the introduction or strengthening of curricula on gender studies, should be given special attention.

While these points are important goals for the University of North West, with all due respect, I'm certain that I share with you the keen awareness that building a vibrant university with these kinds of qualities takes much more than making declarations and holding conferences such as this one. It takes action. It takes commitment. But most of all it takes energy and dedication to the process of building a new nation through higher education.

As you all know, there is much at stake here. Indeed, the future of southern Africa and the entire continent rests on finding solutions to the devastating issues plaguing African people. These are life and death issues for many, particularly women, and include poverty, malnutrition and famine, access to viable health care, HIV/AIDS, not to mention genocide, violence and war. So, how do we even begin to address issues such as these? Many scholars, politicians, religious leaders, and philosophers have written on ways to find solutions for these issues. But we cannot find solutions if we don't acknowledge where these problems come from.

So, let me talk for a moment about globalisation and how the women of Africa fit into that process. In the original letter of invitation to participate here today, AAU Secretary General Prof. Francois Rajaoson defined globalisation as "…a combination of much freer trade in goods and services combined with free capital movements (June 8, 2001). It leads me to ask, what exactly does this mean and who, exactly, is benefiting? South African economist Patrick Bond has recently argued that globalisation is nothing more than a new form of global apartheid that benefits international capitalists and continues to oppress and exploit the poor citizens of developing countries (2001:240-299). I find his argument convincing, as the world watches the G8 countries grow richer while developing countries fall further into debt to the World Bank and the IMF, both Washington institutions. South Africa is no exception. White South Africa took loans from international private banks to fund their apartheid regime against their own people and those of neighbouring states as well. Currently, the total odious debt in southern Africa is at estimated at £28 billion. This is £11billion that South Africa borrowed to maintain apartheid and military aggression against its neighbours plus the £17 billion neighbouring countries borrowed because of South Africa's destabilization process and aggression (Jubilee 2000 South Africa Report: "Paying Twice in Apartheid).

In addition, the new post-apartheid government has incurred additional development loans from the World Bank and the IMF (World Bank Report 2000).

And what are the implications for these new loans? In order to receive the loans the government must agreed to certain conditions dictated by the lenders, called Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs). This means that the government looses its freedom to allocate sufficient portions of its budget for the basic needs of its people. Hence we find development projects becoming skewed in favour of multi-national corporations, and social services being cut for the citizens of South Africa. Housing, education, access to water and electricity, health care…all of the structures that administrate these kinds of social needs are dealing with reduced budgets and privitization, and the people at grassroots continue to suffer (Bond 2001). In fact, many developing countries in Africa are now so deeply in debt that new loans are devoted almost entirely to the servicing of old ones, thus adding heavily to money that must be allocated to debt relief in national budgets. At the same time, the Third World's share of world trade is steadily falling while in many of those same countries levels of HIV/AIDs and poverty continue to rise, along with infant mortality and malnutrition. (Steans 1998: 140-146).

There is a great deal of research giving evidence that women carry the heaviest burden of SAPs (see for example P211 list in Steans). For example, one of the first areas targeted for increased export is the agricultural sector. Produce grown for export takes away from produce grown for domestic consumption. Increased cash-crops for export frequently lead to food shortages. Since women are usually responsible for providing food for children and adult men, women are the ones who must cope with food shortages on a daily basis (ibid.). In addition, women are the primary care-givers in basic welfare and health needs. As governmental funding in these areas continues to be cut, women find themselves stretching their energy and resources to care for families and communities.

Since women, and Black women especially in the case of South Africa, tend to be clustered at the bottom of the socio-economic scale, a falling national income tends to disproportionately effect women. For example, UNICEF (1992) has reported that typically, a small 2-3% drop in the national income results in the decrease of 10-15% income for the poorest groups. This, unfortunately, means women and children, since global statistics show that women head more than 80% of poor families, and these numbers are increasing (Seager 1997:21). In the case of South Africa, the poorest 20% of the population, read Black, earns 3% of the national income. The wealthiest 20%, read White, earns over 60%. What this means is that, for the poor, there is limited or non-existent access to infrastructure, education, primary health care and socio-economic opportunity for the majority of people, and most specifically rural women.

Currently, this is the situation for so-called "African" households in South Africa:

· Only 38% have electricity

· Only 27% have running taps

· Only 34% have running toilets

· Only 37% have regular refuse removal

(Bond 2000:50-51).

As elsewhere in the developing world, since women are the primary care-givers of family, household, and community, the benefits of infrastructure and service delivery are disproportionately felt by women (Naidoo 2001)

What does this do to education? What does this do to the girl child? At the risk of stating the obvious, as an example let us look briefly at the benefits of electricity alone for education. In terms of institutions themselves, electrification provides some of the basic prerequisites such as lighting for classrooms and facilities for efficient administration. It also generates potential for longer school days, and evening classes. It gives access to audio visual aids. It enables students, both children and adults, to study at home. It gives access to radio and TV broadcasting that improves the working environment of students and scholars.

We are all aware of the high rate of social return to society through investment in education, and this rate of return is substantially higher for women than men (Bond 2000:59). To cite a few examples, women's education has been shown to impact women's awareness of reproductive freedom, their knowledge about nutrition and childcare, their participation in civic organizations and politics, their contributions to governance and civil rights campaigns, their involvement in business and economics, and their contributions to the enrichment of society through the arts.

In terms of literacy, the highest percentages of illiteracy in the world are found in Africa. In Niger, 94.2% of women are illiterate, and in Burkina Faso, 92% of women cannot read (Naidoo ***?: 74). It is obvious that these statistics grossly stunt the participation of even a minimal percentage of women at university level. Funds are sorely needed for all levels of education in Africa, and as we've seen, especially for women. In the edited volume African Renaissance: the New Struggle (1999), Professor Macere Mugu has argued that debt cancellation is the key if governments are to be enabled to build sustainable educational institutions. The report from Jubilee 2000 confirms his position.

Professor Mugu points out that the only way to address pressing issues in education is to involve a "…revolutionary transformation of Africa's entire economic-political system" In order to accomplish this transformation, "…Africa has to design a development process that is so holistic and people-centred that inequalities in production, wealth, ownership and social opportunity are uncompromisingly addressed as a means of establishing social justice" He reminds us of the proverbial wisdom of Africa that reinforces again and again, the virtues to be found in a collective vision of African culture, and which can lead to truly sustainable development. He calls our attention to proverbs such as "two hands are better than one", "unity is strength", "it takes a village to raise a child", and of course "I am because we are, and since we are, therefore I am" (p. 226- 27 passim). Who do these proverbs and goals address more than women?

The universities of Africa have a huge role to play in addressing these issues. And universities today must begin to ask themselves how to mobilize women to participate efficiently in the growth and development of African countries. A critical step is to educate women and give them the tools to develop their roles and potential in society. I suggest that a forward-looking strategy is to establish more Gender Studies Centers and Women's Studies Units in universities throughout the continent. In South African Universities, Women's Studies as a discipline is in its infancy. On some campuses it is non-existent. And as Gertrude Fester has argued, it would benefit all if these programs could become the academic wing of the women's movement. The work of universities would be widely enhanced if they developed more outreach strategies and working partnerships with women's organizations. This would not only enrich women's organizations, but it would validate and check the accuracy of research material on the status of women (1998).

But in order to establish this as a viable plan, universities must begin to address the status and participation of women in their institutions. Throughout the continent, women are over-represented at the lower levels of the academic hierarchy and under-represented at higher levels (Tothill 1998). Indeed, we are lucky here at University of North West to have a woman serving as Vice Chancellor, plus two women deans. While women's experiences within the academy are diverse, there are recurring patterns that cross-cut national borders and suggest common areas. Some of these commonalities are

· The operation of practices that privilege the white, male middle-class academic

· The attitude of academic men in positions of power and decision making in the academy, which includes the 'old boys network' and homosociability

· The system of promotion that identifies and defines productivity in terms that disadvantage women.

· The greater likelihood of academic men holding a doctorate

· The lower productivity level (if defined by research and publications) of women academics

· The heavier teaching load carried by women academics

· The failure of the academy to recognize the primary caregiver status of many academic women

· The lack of role models and an effective process of mentoring for academic women

· The failure of equal opportunities policies to be effectively translated into equal opportunities practice (Brooks 1997.)

In her pioneering study of women's experience in South African universities, Tothill revealed that in 1998, only 9% of women academics in South Africa achieved full professor status. If we break this down racially, 15.5% of junior lecturers were Black women, while 9% were White women. Only 2% of full professors were Black women, with White women not far ahead at 7%. This number is a significant drop from the 48% of women academics who worked as junior lecturers. Here at Uniwest, we have one woman professor. These figures graphically illustrate the glass ceiling for women that exists in South African universities, and most especially for Black women.

Higher education institutions are generally "conservative, masculinist organizations, cloaked in a rhetoric of liberalism and non-discrimination." While most major universities tend to address gender non-discrimination in their charters and mission statements, they are often complacent regarding charges of real discrimination by women. Blatant sexism is becoming more rare within the context of higher education. It is covert sexism that is the obstacle that is more difficult to deal with. It is often denied by both perpetrator and victim. Men who exhibit covert sexism often deny that they are sexist, and are also unwilling to acknowledge that systematic discrimination against women is a part of university culture. Men may often make gestures towards improving women's situations, but mostly fail to come to terms with the deeply rooted gender dynamics that contribute to discrimination against women. Moreover, women who experience discrimination are often socialized to attribute job discrimination to their own perceived lack of abilities (Tothill 1998).

Women who make it to universities, then, are exceptional people, who have overcome many obstacles: social, cultural and economic. Women who make it into post-graduate programs are even more exceptional. Many of these women are mature, with children and husbands, and are often working full time outside the home as well. These are women who fall outside the norm, who are striving for excellence, are achieving it, and who are actively and consciously moving towards building capacity both personally and in a wider social context. A critical aspect of their success is their function as role models for the rest of the community and indeed the nation. This especially important for the poor and working class girl child who finds herself at the bottom of the socio-economic order.

It is our responsibility, as participants in the academy, to ensure that women such as these receive our full support, in every capacity. This means enriching these young scholars through funding and mentoring and broadened opportunity. It means wiping out apathetic scholarship and encouraging creativity and critical thinking. But it also means demanding money for their education. It means ensuring bursaries and research grants that signal to them that they are important in the academy and that they are valued members of society.

Let me tell you the tale of two black women, both post-graduate students here at University of North West. In October of this year there was an important international women's conference called The Third Annual Conference for Women in Africa and the African Diaspora. This is a conference that is gaining international recognition from the academy for providing a multi-disciplinary venue for cutting edge discourse about African women. In other words, this is a prestigious conference. The two women in question here responded to the conference call for paper with enthusiasm and hard work. They both submitted abstract proposals, and both were accepted to participate. Sadly, neither one of them made it to the conference, and this is why.

Recognizing that these were African women coming from an area of the continent that is still struggling with the legacy of apartheid, Bantu education, and the economic pressures of globalisation, the conference organizers waived the conference registration fees. The students were elated, but still needed around R10,000 each, for airfare and local transport, accommodation, and food, since the conference lasted 10 days and was held in Madagascar. They were offered round trip airfare at no cost through a South African travel agency. This meant that they still needed R5000 each. They continued in their fund-raising activities, feeling confident they would succeed, since this opportunity was going to benefit not only themselves, but the university and community as well. Subsequently they approached the graduate division here at Uniwest for support, but were told in no uncertain terms that there was no money available and that the university does not fund post-graduate students to attend conferences. Next, they decided to approach government and local businesses for funds. They were refused funding by the following: Game Stores, First National Bank, Metropolitan Life, Amalgamated Beverage Industries Limited, and most sadly, the Office on the Status of Women in the Department of the Premier, North West Province. In desperation, they contacted the Vice-Chancellor's office here at the university, but again were told the university does not fund post-graduate students and turned away.

What does this say about how South African Universities, businesses and the community value women students in this age of reduced resources? In the case of African universities, it is certain that they are in a position where they are forced to respond to processes of globalisation and all that implies. But I have to ask, would this have happened to a Black woman student at a historically white university? Or are we still carrying the legacy of the disenfranchisement of historically Black and disadvantaged universities? Is there really no money? Or are we talking about racism? Or sexism? Or both? Or is the problem that African universities are plugged into the hegemonic New World Order that continues to squeeze developing countries and deny them access to the tools necessary to become competitive in the global arena? I suggest that all of the above is the case. Thank you

References

Bond, Patrick 2001. Threatening Global Apartheid: South Africa's Windows on the World Bankk IMF and International Finance. Pluto and University of Cape Town Press, London and Cape Town.