By Tazz Qeja / Jane Austen in Africa
In the quiet recesses of her heart, she was simply a young dame who cherished private aspirations. Afore being a daughter, a betrothed, a sister and a dearest companion there in her heart was a dream. A woman was herself with the best of her own esteemed mind.
However, the measured ambition of settlement and concealed thoughts awaited her future. It was beyond a man’s mind, and countably so, to put meaning and questioning in the ideas of what a woman thinks. It appeared instead that women were quick to fall onto the ropes of commonplace duties and compromise. It appears that in the days of yore as well as in the contemporary year of 2025, women still lived in the shadows of men’s achievements; perceived as bystanders rather than people of grit and selflessness.
It took great sacrifice for a woman as young as my junior generation to set aside their hopes and dreams to prioritise the needs of her youngest siblings. The societal normality of South Africa could only progress so far. Needless to say, it nurtured the visions and pursuits of a man, whilst a woman, often out of necessity, embraced the orderly expectations imposed by the conventions of family and society. Is a woman not worth more than a busy stare and an appetite to be desirable? The hole-shell of minuscule vocation?
O, my dearest, young women of South Africa; you are a largesse from God. Allay the hindrances of pursuing your heart’s desires within the conviction of your dreams. Trail above and beyond the gentle secret hope and whispers of your hearts. Nurture the aspirations of a virtuoso brilliance, remarkable and rare posterity, suchlike composer Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph. You, who are nimble and gentle like the waltz of a soft breeze, as daring and balletic as Nadine Nerina and Dada Masilo.
Yes, agreeably so, all dreams are possible in a woman’s world; all it takes is risk. Truly so, on the scrutiny of the patriarchal hegemony, it is a fundamental principle that a woman of class should carry herself all but suave, far from the fallacy of strength. To the young women who dream of being a pugilist, what you have is a calling and not an uncouth, hoydenish mannishness. It may nettle the minds of the adversary yet arguably it defies our male-dominated society.
A woman’s timidity outweighs any pretentious sense of security she’s convinced herself into believing. It is more than just an idealised impulse, a momentary lapse of judgement; it is a purpose and a journey to self-identity. Be not confined in the misconception that a woman’s value is an obligation to secure her family’s fortune, nor the mistaken notion that a woman exists as mere subordination to younger siblings.
I am convinced, young women of South Africa, that you are beyond being merely recognisable by your rare beauty, and that, in truth, in you lies an uncommon greatness awaiting your courage and boldness to take a chance in faith.
Tazz Qeja is a first year Rhodes student studying Journalism and Media Studies.
