Sisterhood. It’s that amazing connection between women and girls formed by friendship, love and support. A sister is there to give unconditional love and encouragement.
Sisterhood. It’s that amazing connection between women and girls formed by friendship, love and support. A sister is there to give unconditional love and encouragement.
We live in a highly gendered society, and Breaking the Silence: Sisterhood brings together the struggles women face through a collection of poems, short stories and personal essays written by various women from all over South Africa. Each story reveals change or discovery intermeshed with the support of sisters.
I greedily read the anthology in one sitting. It made me think firstly of my own sister and the great love, strength and beauty she has brought me. She is my only biological sister but the overarching bond of sisterhood comes from mothers, grandmothers, colleagues, friends, and even strangers.
In ‘Strength from my sister’, Dipuo Molapisi writes: “I was raised to believe that being hurt is normal and just part of life, where men have the right to do as they please with our bodies.”
Molapisi, an unemployed woman from Soweto, was raped as a school girl 11 years ago and her story depicts the society and beliefs many women have to deal with. An older sister’s strength and power gets her through the ordeal.
I loved reading each of the 22 pieces in the anthology but two stories really stood out for me.
My favourite was ‘Witch and bitch’ about an old woman, all alone and losing her memory, who was an outcast because the village believed her to be a witch. She connects with a girl who has also been shunned for being too loud, strong, and against the norm of what a female should be – a bitch. The women are brought together in this truly beautiful, emotionally charged short story.
‘Bread’ is another compelling story that really spoke to me. It starts when a woman stops her car at a traffic light and a girl is begging at her window. She ignores the girl, as I have often done to pan-handlers. She finally gives her some change and the girl says, “bless you sister”.
The two women felt there was something like a thread between them but as the author asks: “could such a small act create a bond between two people?”
This is the seventh anthology compiled by People Opposing Woman Abuse (Powa). The book also contains artworks depicting the power of women’s bodies. It is an expression of creativity as a catalyst for change and healing, and is intended to open debate about abuse and women’s issues.
As I sat on my stoep finishing the book, my housemate (another sister) played her guitar and sang Neil Young. The bond was there, I felt blessed. This book has left a great imprint on my life and I highly recommend it.
Breaking the Silence: Sisterhood by the Powa Women’s Writing Project is available from Kalahari.com for R117, as well as various book stores.
