Ukuhlukunyezwa Ngokobulili—Inkinga Yembulunga Yonke

UMSEBENZI wawusuyinkinga esabekayo kunobhala osemusha okuthiwa uRena Weeks. Yiqiniso, inkampani yezomthetho ayeyisebenzela yayinegama elivelele namahhovisi kanokusho emazweni angaphezu kwangu-24. Kodwa ngokusho kwakhe, wayesebenzela indoda eyayingayeki ukumbamba nokumthinta. Lokhu kuhlaselwa okululazayo kwakuhambisana nenkulumo engenanhlonipho, esikisela ukungcola.

Eminyakeni edlule, abesifazane abasezimweni ezinjengalesi babengenaso isiphephelo—ngaphandle mhlawumbe kokushiya phansi umsebenzi. Abaphathi babeyokubheka njengendaba ‘engenabufakazi lokho akushoyo.’ Futhi ngisho nalabo abathambekele ekukholelweni indaba yowesifazane mhlawumbe babeyochitha lenkinga ngokuthi, ‘Kunamsebenzi muni?’ Kodwa izinto sezishintshile. URena Weeks wenza okungaphezu nje kokuthukuthela futhi ashiye phansi umsebenzi. Wamangala enkantolo.

Amajaji ase-United States amnikeza u-$50-000 (R181 500) njengesinxephezelo sokucindezeleka kwakhe ngokomzwelo, kanye no-$225 000 (R817 000) njengesinxephezelo esiyisigwebo kowayengumqashi wakhe. Khona-ke, ethatha isinyathelo esashukumisa amabhizinisi nezinkampani zezomthetho kuwo wonke umhlaba, lamajaji atshela lenkampani yezomthetho ukuba ikhokhe isizumbulu sama-dollar ayizigidi ezingu-6,9 (amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-25) njengesigwebo sokuhluleka ukulungisa lenkinga!

Indaba kaWeeks ayisona neze isenzakalo esingavamile. Elinye icala lamuva nje lihilela inxanxathela yezitolo zezwe lonke (e-United States). Isisebenzi okuthiwa uPeggy Kimzey sathi umphathi waso wayekhulume amazwana angokobulili angenanhlonipho kuso. Ngo-1993, uPeggy Kimzey washiya phansi emsebenzini futhi wamangala enkantolo. Wanikezwa u-$35 000 (R127000) ngenxa yokululazwa nokucindezeleka ngokwengqondo kanye no-$1 (R3,60) omelela iholo elamlahlekela. Amajaji anquma nokuthi owayengumqashi wakhe wayebangele isimo esibi somsebenzi ngokubekezelela lokhu kuhlukunyezwa. Saba yini isigwebo? Isinxephezelo sama-dollar ayizigidi ezingu-50 (amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-180)!

Umagazini i-Men’s Health uthi: “Amacala okuhlukunyezwa ngokobulili aye anda njengamagciwane. Ngo-1990, i-EEOC [Equal Employment Opportunity Commission] yasingatha izikhalo ezinjalo ezingu-6127; ngonyaka odlule [1993] ingqikithi yaminyaka yonke yayisiphindeke cishe kabili yaba ngu-11 908.”

Ukusetshenziswa Kabi Kwegunya

Nakuba izinxephezelo eziphakeme zamajaji ziba indab’egudwini, iqiniso liwukuthi ambalwa amacala afinyelela ezinkantolo. Izisulu eziningi zibhekana nokululazwa kwazo buthule—zingabantukazana abacindezelwa kabi ngegunya nokusatshiswa emahhovisi, emigwaqweni, emabhasini, ezindaweni zokudla, nasemafektri. Ngezinye izikhathi, kunokucindezela okuqondile kokuba nobuhlobo bobulili. Nokho, ngokuvamile lokhu kuxhaphaza kuyizenzo zobuqili, kodwa ezihlazisayo: ukuthintwa okungafuneki noma okungafanele, amazwi angcolile, ukubuka okunxenxayo.

Yiqiniso, abanye bayenqaba ukubiza ukuziphatha okunjalo ngokuthi ukuhlukumeza, bathi kumane nje kuwumzamo wokuzidela wamadoda athile wokuthola ukunakwa abobulili obuhlukile. Kodwa abaningi, njengomlobi uMartha Langelan, bayayilahla imizamo enjalo yokuthethelela lokhu kuziphatha okunengekayo. Uyabhala: “Akukhona ukuthandana kokunganaki, noma ukuthandana okungenanhlonipho, noma ukuthandana kokuntela, noma ukuthandana ‘okungaqondakali.’ Akuhloselwe ukukhanga abesifazane; kuwukuziphatha okufeza injongo ehluke ngokuphelele. Njengokudlwengula, ukuhlukumeza ngokobulili kuhloselwe ukucindezela abesifazane, hhayi ukubakhanga. . . . [Kuwukubonakaliswa] kwamandla.” Yebo, ngokuvamile ukuphathwa okubi okunjalo kumane kungenye indlela yonya ‘umuntu aye abusa ngayo omunye kwaba ukulimala kwakhe.’—UmShumayeli 8:9; qhathanisa nomShumayeli 4:1.

Ngokuvamile abesifazane abasabeli ngenjabulo lapho behlukunyezwa ngokobulili, kodwa baba nemizwa esuka ekunengweni nentukuthelo kuya ekucindezelekeni nasekululazekeni. Esinye isisulu siyakhumbula: “Lesi simo sangilimaza kakhulu. Ngaphelelwa ukuzithemba, ukuzihlonipha, nogqozi emsebenzini wami. Ubuntu bami bashintsha ngokuphawulekayo. Ngangingumuntu ongenazinkinga. Ngaba nomunyu, ngazihlukanisa, futhi ngaba namahloni.” Futhi lapho umhlukumezi kungumqashi noma othile onegunya, ukuhlukunyezwa kuba kubi nakakhulu.

Khona-ke, akumangalisi ukuthi izinkantolo seziqale ukujezisa abahlukumezi nokunxephezela izisulu. Selokhu iNkantolo Ephakeme yase-United States yachaza ukuphathwa kabi okunjalo njengokwephulwa kwamalungelo ezakhamuzi, umthetho uye wafuna ukuba abaqashi balondoloze isimo sasemsebenzini esingesona “esibi noma esicasulayo.”

Izinkampani ezibekezelela ukuhlukunyezwa ngokobulili zingase zibhekane nezindinganiso eziphansi zokuziphatha kwezisebenzi, ukuphutha emsebenzini okuphakeme, izinga lomkhiqizo eliphansi, nezinga eliphakeme lokushintsha kwezisebenzi—kungasakhulunywa ngenhlekelele engokwezimali uma izisulu zinquma ukumangala enkantolo.

Kwande Kangakanani?

Kwande kangakanani ngempela ukuhlukunyezwa ngokobulili? Ukuhlola kubonisa ukuthi abesifazane abangaphezu kwengxenye abasebenzayo e-United States baye babhekana nakho. Ngakho enye incwadi ithi: “Ukuhlukunyezwa ngokobulili kuyinkinga ethe chithi saka. Kwenzeka kwabesifazane abakuyo yonke imikhakha yezomsebenzi kusukela koweta kuya kubaphathi abaphakeme. Kwenzeka kuyo yonke imikhakha yezokuphathwa kwemisebenzi nakuwo wonke amabhizinisi nezimboni.” Nokho, lenkinga ayikho e-United States kuphela. Incwadi ethi Shockwaves: The Global Impact of Sexual Harassment, kaSusan L. Webb, iveza izibalo ezilandelayo:a

ECANADA: “Okunye ukuhlola kwabonisa ukuthi abesifazane abane kwabayishumi babika ukuthi baye bahlukunyezwa ngokobulili emsebenzini.”

EJAPANE: “Ukuhlola kwango-August 1991 kwabonisa ukuthi abesifazane abahlolwa abangamaphesenti angu-70 babhekana” nokuhlukunyezwa emsebenzini. “Abangamaphesenti angu-90 bathi bahlukunyezwa ngokobulili lapho beya nalapho bevela emsebenzini.”

E-AUSTRIA: “Ukuhlola kwango-1986 kwabonisa ukuthi amaphesenti angaba ngu-31 abesifazane abika izehlakalo zokuhlukunyezwa okubi.”

EFRANCE: “Ngo-1991 ukuhlola okuthile . . . kwathola ukuthi amaphesenti angu-21 abesifazane abangu-1300 abahlolwa athi ayebhekene nokuhlukunyezwa ngokobulili ngokuqondile.”

ENETHERLANDS: Ukuhlola okuthile kwabonisa ukuthi “amaphesenti angu-58 abesifazane abasabela [ekuhloleni] athi ayebhekene nokuhlukunyezwa ngokobulili ngokuqondile.”

Isibonakaliso Sezikhathi

Yiqiniso, ukuxhashazwa nokuhlukunyezwa emsebenzini akukusha. Abesifazane—futhi ngezinye izikhathi amadoda—babebhekana nokuphathwa kabi okunjalo ngisho nasemuva ezikhathini zeBhayibheli. (Genesise 39:7, 8; Ruthe 2:8, 9, 15) Kodwa ukuziphatha okungafanele okunjalo kubonakala kudlange kakhulu namuhla. Kungani?

Phakathi kokunye, eminyakeni yamuva abesifazane baye bangena emsebenzini ngamanani ayingqopha-mlando. Ngakho-ke abesifazane abaningi babhekana nezimo okungavela kuzo ukuxhashazwa okunjalo. Nokho, okuphawuleka ngisho nakakhulu yilokho iBhayibheli elakuprofetha esikhathini eside esidlule: “Khumbula lokhu! Ezinsukwini zokugcina kuyoba nezikhathi ezinzima. Abantu bayoba nobugovu, nokuhaha, nokuqhosha, kanye nokuzazisa; bayoba abaklolodayo . . . ; bayoba abangenamusa, abangenasihe, abanyundeli, abanobudlova, nabanolaka.” (2 Thimothewu 3:1-3, Today’s English Version) Ukwanda kokuhlukunyezwa ngokobulili kungobunye ubufakazi obuphawulekayo bokuthi lamazwi ayagcwaliseka namuhla. Ngokuthakazelisayo, isihloko esithile kumagazini i-Men’s Health siphawula ukuthi “ukwanda kwezikhalo zokuhlukunyezwa ngokobulili kuhambisana nokuncipha okuphawulekayo kwemikhuba emihle evamile. Imikhuba emibi isakazekile.”

Ukwanda kokuhlukunyezwa ngokobulili kuveza futhi “ukuziphatha okusha,” okwasakazeka emhlabeni ngawo-1960. Ukuwohloka kwemingcele evamile yokuziphatha kuye kwahambisana nokungawanaki okushaqisayo amalungelo nemizwa yabanye. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kubangelwa yini, ukuhlukunyezwa ngokobulili kuyiqiniso elibi emsebenzini. Yini abesilisa nabesifazane abangayenza ukuze bazivikele? Ingabe siyoke sibe khona isikhathi lapho ukuhlukunyezwa kuyophela emsebenzini?

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 4]

Ukuhlukunyezwa Ngokobulili—Ukuqhathaniswa Kwenganekwane Neqiniso

Inganekwane: Ukuhlukunyezwa ngokobulili kubikwa ngokweqisayo. Kumane kungenye nje imfashini, umkhiqizo wokweqisa kwemithombo yezindaba.

Iqiniso: Ngokuvamile, owesifazane ulahlekelwa okukhulu futhi azuze okuncane ngokubika ukuhlukunyezwa. Ngempela, idlanzana kuphela labesifazane (amaphesenti angu-22 ngokokunye ukuhlola) elike litshele othile ukuthi liye lahlukunyezwa. Ukwesaba, ukuhlazeka, ukuzisola, ukudideka, nokungawazi amalungelo abo angokomthetho kwenza abesifazane abaningi bathule. Ngenxa yalokho ochwepheshe abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi lenkinga ayibikwa neze ngokwanele!

Inganekwane: Abesifazane abaningi bayakujabulela ukunakwa. Labo abathi baye bahlukunyezwa bamane nje bayashesha ukuthinteka.

Iqiniso: Ngokungaguquki ukuhlola kubonisa ukuthi abesifazane bayakucasukela ukuphathwa ngonya okunjalo. Kokunye ukuhlola, “abesifazane abangaphezu kwezingxenye ezimbili kwezinhlanu bathi banengwa futhi cishe abayingxenye yesithathu bathi bathukuthela.” Abanye babika ukuthi bazizwa bekhathazekile, belimele, futhi becindezelekile.

Inganekwane: Abesilisa bahlukunyezwa njengabesifazane.

Iqiniso: Abacwaningi be-National Association of Working Women (U.S.) babika ukuthi “amaphesenti alinganiselwa kwangu-90 amacala okuhlukunyezwa ahilela amadoda aye ahlukumeza abesifazane, amaphesenti angu-9 abobulili obufanayo . . . , futhi iphesenti elilodwa kuphela elihilela abesifazane abaye bahlukumeza abesilisa.”

[Isithombe ekhasini 5]

Ukuhlukunyezwa ngokobulili akuphathelene nobulili kuphela