Invitation to attend: Women and the Unfinished Business of the TRC (online webinar)

Invitation to attend: Women and the Unfinished Business of the TRC 

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As we draw Women’s Month to a close, the IJR would like to reflect of the experience of women and the TRC, looking at what happened at the TRC, to assess the legacy it has had and to look at what still needs to be done.

The event will be taking place on-line on the 31^st August 2022, from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Background

Colonialism and apartheid impacted on women in specific and pernicious ways.  These systems were embedded with patriarchy and targeted women’s bodies, as well as assaulting them on a psychological and emotional level.  The depths of depravity in the treatment and torture of women have been well documented.  Many women not only suffered for their actions, but were often targeted because of their proximity to prominent male liberation fighters.

While the TRC held a session on gender, it has been criticised for its gender-neutral approach.  This approached implied that the experience of women and men were the same and ignored the fact that women and men experienced apartheid differently, based on their gender.

The aim of this discussion will be to reflect on the experiences of the TRC, to identify the challenges which remain and to look to a vision of the future.

Some of the issues that we hope to raise are:

• How did the TRC address gender, what do you think the TRC did right, and what do you think the TRC could have done better, as regards gender?
• Survivors’ experiences of the TRC, what the TRC did right, and what the TRC could have done better?
• How have we dealt with the issues raised by the TRC? What more needs to be done?
• How do we understand justice and reconciliation from a gender perspective?
• If we did the TRC over, what would it need to encapsulate and include to have an impact?
• What is the vision going forward?

Programme:

10:00    Welcome and introduction

10:10    Speakers

11:10    Panel discussion

11:30    Comfort break

11:45    Discussion

12:45    Thanks and close

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,

Felicity Harrison
Programme Manager: Sustained Dialogues