Shama Mohammad: Battling patriarchy and breaking barriers

Royal Mzansi: Valoyi queen beat patriarchy after 50-year battle

Hosi Phylia Tinyiko Lwandlamuni Nwamitwa II’s rise to the throne is one of the most powerful stories of resistance against patriarchy in South African traditional leadership, writes Celani Sikhakhane in Royal Mzansi column.  For more than four decades she fought to claim the throne of the Valoyi people in Tzaneen, Limpopo. Her struggle began after the death of her father, Hosi Fofoza, in 1968. Because he had no son, tradition shaped by apartheid…

Shama Mohammad: Battling patriarchy and breaking barriers

This article explores the challenges faced by Shama Mohammad, an AICC spokesperson and a decade-long veteran in Indian politics, particularly as a woman in the field. Despite the Women’s Reservation Bill, representation for Muslim women in Congress remains low, with no Muslim women from Congress receiving a Lok Sabha ticket in 2024, and only two serving as MLAs nationally. Shama identifies three primary obstacles she's faced: being non-dynastic,…