An Ordinary Thing: Equal Families in South Africa
Channel: Masculinity and Health Research Unit
Date: 2020-02-08

The country is marred by sexual and gender-based violence, and reportedly has some of the world's highest rates of assault and sexual violence. Sexual and gender-based violence have been shown to be associated with men's domination of women and other men. In 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa described gender-based violence as a "national shame", and in September of that year tens of thousands of women took to the streets to protest the brutal murder of University of Cape Town student Uyinene Mrwetyana and the scourge of rape and femicide. 

Against the backcloth of mass demonstrations and news headlines which often tell of severe cases of rape and murder, two researchers from the University of South Africa’s Institute for Social & Health Sciences and the South African Medical Research Council's Masculinity and Health Research Unit, Rebecca Helman and Kopano Ratele have conducted interviews, ethnographic observations, and a survey into gender inequality, gender equality and violence. Their body of work seeks to not only grasp and show how inequality is thought of and manifests in homes, but vitally, how egalitarian families understand equality and inequality, do equality, and raise children toward a more egalitarian, healthier and nonviolent society.

Produced by: Kopano Ratele and Rebecca Helman
Shot and edited by: Leila Dougan
Drone footage: John Stupart
Additional footage: Wesley Fester and Anso Thom
Special thanks to: The Mashua family, The Russell family, The Xengwana family, The Olivier family, The Holland family, The van den Berg family, Carmine Rustin and Ketso Ratele.

This film is part of the Equal Families project funded by the National Research Foundation.