It’s Women’s Month. So what?? What exactly are we celebrating? It certainly isn’t the high GBV statistics, femicide numbers, gender pay gap or general gender inequality. These are some of the tough questions 5FM will attempt to answer through its month-long campaign highlighting what South African women endure through honest, open, unapologetic dialogue. The station will also celebrate those who have come before, paving the way for the modern South African woman, since that 9 August march to the Union Buildings in 1956.  The station has also undertaken to highlight the cause on a permanent basis and not just during the month of August.

The first conversation, was an interview with 5FM management this week, talking about the representation of women within the 5FM line-up. Station Manager JD Mostert and Programme Manager Siyanda Fikelepidiscussed what 5FM is doing to ensure equal footing for women, how they have nurtured new and the fact that all new on-air presenter hires this year, bar one, have been females.

Audiences can look for various pieces of content on both on-air and digitally across the various social media platforms. On Sunday, 9 August, the station will celebrate 10 of the women who marched to the Union Buildings and share their stories and history to those who may not know who they are and what that act meant for women today. With Every Woman, the station has asked for women to share their stories and experiences of sexism, abuse, discrimination, harassment or victimisation.

A panel discussion is planned for later this month with newsreader Sibs Matiyela as the moderator. Young activist Zulaikha Patel, public speaker and CEO of Makhathini Media Owethu Makhathini, feminist and activist writer Dela Gwala and gender-queer writer Nobantu Shabangu.  

Discussions will be around feminist phrasing, challenges each guest has faced in school, with employment and everyday sexism and how that plays into rape culture. This is a feature the station will continue with on a monthly basis.

Audiences can also find other content pieces and interviews across most of the shows during the course of the month. 

For further information, please refer to 5FM’s website www.5fm.co.za.

You may also find all the on-air content on the 5FM catch-up page http://www.5fm.co.za/sabc/home/5fm/catch-ups