Izibhamu—Akuzona Ezamadoda Kuphela
EZWENI lokukhangisa, isithombe somuntu wesilisa sendoda eyisidlova ecuphe isibhamu ezingalweni zayo siye sasetshenziselwa ukudayisa izinto eziningi. Kuwumjikelezo owuchungechunge—ugwayi, izimoto, izingubo, izibhamu, kanye nenkindlane yezinye izinto, okulinganiselwa umcabango womkhangisi kuphela.
Ikakhulukazi eUnited States, amadoda aye afanekiswa njengamathe nolimi nezibhamu zawo. Emagcekeni asemadolobheni, kuye kwamiswa izithombe eziqoshiwe zamaqhawe anqobayo nezibhamu zibanjwe ezingalweni zawo noma zigaxwe ngasohlangothini. Ngisho nangaphandle kwamazwi achaza kafushane, izithombe ezibonisa inkathi yobulwane yaseNtshonalanga zibonwa ngokushesha ngevolovolo elilayisha izinhlamvu eziyisithupha liboshelwe okhalweni lwendoda. Kuye kwenziwa insada yamabhayisikobho anegama elithi “isibhamu” ezihlokweni zawo. Imibukiso yamathelevishini nokukhanga kwezindawo zokuthengisela amathikithi zemibukiso yamabhayisikobho kuthaphuka umsindo wokudubula okuhlokomayo kwezibhamu—abantu abenziwa izisulu nabayizigelekeqe bedubulana kunoma yisiphi isimo noma indawo engase icatshangwe. Amadoda asemasha adweba imifanekiso yamadoda anomuzwa onamandla wokuzigqaja kobulisa ephethe izibhamu ezandleni zawo, nezigcawu zezenzakalo ezingokoqobo zabafileyo belele ezinyaweni zabo.
Kodwa abesifazane abengeziwe manje bayahileleka ezehlakalweni zezibhamu. Eminyakeni engamashumi amabili edlule, imidlalo yethelevishini iye yagcwala abaseshi nabaphenyi besifazane bedubulana nezigebengu futhi bephumelela ngokubulala nangokudubula okukhulu.
Bathutheleka ngezinkani ezinkundleni zokudubula ngamavolovolo nezibhamu, bengena bededelana bedubula ithala lezinhlamvu ezithombeni ezenziwe zaba imifanekiso elingana nabantu abaphilayo bevula izimbobo ngezinhlamvu phakathi kwamehlo azo.
Ngakho akumelwe kukwethuse ukwazi ukuthi izibhamu eziklanyelwe abesifazane ngokukhethekile ziyadayiswa kakade futhi zithengwa kakhulu. “Zintokazi, beningenakusisebenzisa isiqeda-phunga samadoda,” kwabhala enye intatheli yesifazane, “pho kungani nisebenzisa ivolovolo lendoda? Udinga ivolovolo elilula, elingenawo amachopho azophula izinzipho zakho, ivolovolo lekhethelo elisenamandla afana nawesibhamu. Mhlawumbe ufuna i-9,65-caliber LadySmith . . . eluhlaza ngokucwebezelayo, noma ecwazimuliswe ngesiliva, uzikhethele wena isilinganiso sembobo ekhafula inhlamvu.” Esinye isazi saphawula umbono waso ngalokho abesifazane abakufunayo ngezibhamu: “Owesifazane ufuna ukuba isibhamu sibe sihle. Ufuna ukuba sibe yinto ebukeka kahle azoyifaka esikhwameni sakhe esiphathwayo. Akafuni ukuba sishayisane nezinto zakhe zokuziqhola noma isibuko sakhe . . . Iningi labesifazane lithanda ukuba izinto zihambisane nombala futhi zifanelane. Alifuni ukuba sibukeke kabi noma singakhangi . . . Usithengela ukuba azivikele, kodwa futhi ngesikhathi esifanayo, akafuni ukuba sibe sibi.”
Ezinye zezibhamu ngokukhethekile eziklanyelwe abesifazane abangosuka-sambe yi-9,65 enesigujana esilayishwa izinhlamvu ezinhlanu futhi sitholakala ngezinhlobo ezimbili zembotshana yokukhafula izinhlamvu—ngamasentimitha angu-5 nangamasentimitha angu-8—ukuze sanele kahle esikhwamaneni sabesifazane. Ezinye zenziwe zaba nezibambo ezibushelelezi, eziqoshwe ngokhuni lwerosewood, futhi ezinye zihlotshiswa ngemibalabala emihle egqamile. “Azive zizinhle,” kwasho omunye wesifazane, “futhi ngicabanga ukuthi ziphatheka kalula.” Bese kuba khona futhi imiklamo emisha yezikhwama eziphathwayo zabesifazane ezinamakamelo akhelwe ngaphakathi enzelwe ikakhulukazi izibhamu zabesifazane. “Umuntu wesifazane onesibhamu ongenaso isikhwama sabesifazane esikhethekile umane nje uzifunela inkinga,” kwasho omunye wesifazane. “Kuyogcina kugcwele imvuthuluka yezinto nezinhlamvana zemali embotsheni yesibhamu, noma ugwayi, uma ubhema, noma yini enye engase inqwabelane esikhwameni sabesifazane esiphathwayo.” Abanye babikezela ukuthi kuyoba khona isikhathi lapho owesifazane ophethe isibhamu eyotholakala yonke indawo njengomuntu ophethe isambulela.
Amanani Azo Ayanda
Ukuhlola kwamuva kuye kwabonisa ukuthi phakathi kuka-1983 no-1986, abanezibhamu phakathi kwabesifazane baseUnited States “bafinyelela kumaphesenti angu-53 okwaholela kwabangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-12.” Ukuhlola kwabonisa futhi ukuthi phakathi naleyominyaka emithathu, “abesifazane abengeziwe abayizigidi ezimbili babecabangela ukuthenga izibhamu.” Kwabanye omagazini babesifazane, isidingo sowesifazane sokuzivikela silethwa ekunakekeleni ngendlela enobuqili ngokubonisa owesifazane ebuyela ekhaya ethola ifasitela liphukile emnyango wakhe wangaphambili. Ingabe uhlala yedwa? Ingabe unaso isibhamu sokuzivikela uma ehlangana nomhlaseli? Inombolo yokushaya ucingo mahhala engaphansi kwesimemezelo sokukhangisa isuke ingeyabakhiqizi bezibhamu, manje abanikeza uhlu olusha lwezibhamu ezinhle kakhulu zabesifazane.
“Lezi zimemezelo zokukhangisa zifana nokuthela usawoti esilondeni,” kwasho omunye wesifazane. Isizathu siwukuthi njengoba abesifazane abaningi kakhulu behlala ngabodwa noma bengabazali abangabodwa, bazizwa bengavikelekile ikakhulukazi ebugebengwini bobudlova, ngokuvamile ngesizathu esihle. Emadolobheni amaningi amakhulu, ukudlwengula kuyanda. Abesifazane baphucwa izikhwama zabo eziphathwayo—abaningi bekhonjwe ngemimese. Kukhona ukuhlaselwa kwabesifazane ezitaladini, ezindaweni zokupaka izimoto, nasezakhiweni zamahhovisi phakathi nezikhathi zasemini. Amakamelo okuhlala namakhaya, izindawo zokuhlala zabesifazane abahlala ngabodwa, ziyagqekezwa ngesikhathi abanikazi bazo belele. “Kungcono sifunde ukuzinakekela,” kwasho omunye wesifazane, “ngenxa yokuthi njengoba sihamba kakhulu emphakathini onobudlova ngokwandayo, kuzodingeka ukuba sizinakekele kakhulu.”
“Ngangiya ekhaya ngivela emsebenzini,” kwasho omunye wesifazane okwaxoxwa naye kuyithelevishini yaseU.S. “Omunye umuntu wamane wangixhakathisa ngemuva. Wayephethe ummese futhi wangidudulela phansi futhi wangephuca isikhwanyana sami esiphathwayo. Kusukela lapho nangalesosikhathi, ngathi kumelwe ngenze okuthile.” Ngemva kokwenza isicelo sokuthola imvume yokuphatha isibhamu nokuya ezindaweni zokuziqeqeshela ukudubula, waba yini umbono wakhe? “Waphela wonke umuzwa wokungalondeki. Ngacabanga, nginesibhamu, ngidubula lokhu, futhi kuyajabulisa, ngizizwa nginesibindi. Ngalensinjana esesandleni sami, ngingazivikela ngempela.”
Kusobala ukuthi lona umcabango wabesifazane abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-12 eUnited States, futhi ubani ongase azi ukuthi baningi kangakanani abanezikhali ezingekho emthethweni? Amanani omhlaba wonke angashaqisa. Nokho, ingabe lomcabango uwumkhiqizo wokucwaninga okuningi ngalokho amaqiniso akubonisayo? Ngaphambi kokuba uhambe uyothenga isikhali sokuzivikela, cabangela lokho izikhulu zamaphoyisa kanye nezibalo okukubonisayo.