'It's A Feminist Thing' Is The Thought-Provoking Feminist Content We Need In The Mainstream Media

Hosts L-R: Nyiko Shikwambane, Thando Gumede, Kgomotso Matsunyane, Phinah Kodisang

One of the best intentional approaches to unpack gender politics and social issues is through providing more feminist content in the mainstream media. South Africa’s first unapologetically feminist talk show, 'It's A Feminist Thing',  presented by the Soul City Institute, does exactly that. 

'It's A Feminist Thing' is an eight-part uniquely South African talk-show that captures the zeitgeist of the contemporary South African women’s movement – a feminist movement which has patriarchy squarely in its sights."

The thought-provoking show hosted by Kgomotso Matsunyane, Nyiko Shikwambane, Thando Gumede and Phinah Kodisang premiered on 1 November 2020 on SABC 2.

Thus far, the hosts have delved into issues such as patriarchy, the ways that indigenous cultures encourage the oppression and mistreatment of women and queer people, how religion and patriarchy intersect, rape and rape culture.

The show also features a 'word of the week', where language expert, Pontsho Pilane, explains what different terms on each episode based on the topic of the day mean in Setswana. For example, on previous episodes they defined these terms in Setswana: Male Privilege, Non-binary and Rape Culture. In the interest of engagement, the hosts also urge their viewers to join them by sharing the definitions of these terms in their home language.

Concluding Thoughts

The generational and identity diversity among the hosts allows for a broader insightful nuanced dialogue which makes the show worth watching; a captivating delight!

The term of the week feature is a brilliant way to ensure viewers understand the different terms in their mother tongue with the help of a language expert. (Inclusivity in action!)

Despite living in a digital era where various kinds of content, including feminist content, is easily available, not everyone has access to such platforms due to different underlying factors such as access to reliable internet and high internet costs, etc which leads to limited access. This is why we need more feminist content in the mainstream media as some people only have access to traditional media platforms such as television and radio. The beauty about the show, is that, not only is it accessible to the masses as it airs on a public broadcaster, but is also available on YouTube which enables the message to spread to a wider audience. 

Content of this nature should never have gatekeepers; it must be free for all, and accessible in schools, on radios and every corner of our communities through peer initiatives, and most importantly; in our homes, because there's still a lot of work that needs to be done to address gender politics and social issues as a whole through the feminist lens. 

Catch It's A Feminist Thing on Sundays at 18:30 on SABC2 and repeats on Saturdays at 22:30 or watch it on YouTube.  You can also follow the conversation on twitter with #theFThing.

Source/ Photo Credit: It's A Feminist Thing