Gentlemen’s evening excludes women

Perhaps Hermanus High could enlighten me as to why the school hosts an annual ‘Gentlemen’s Evening’.

A recent event featured Matthew Pearce and Steven Kitshoff, and I was sorry that, being a woman, the event wasn’t open to me.

I spend my weekends watching the Lions, Bulls, Stormers and Sharks in action, as well as the Springboks whenever they take the field. I am familiar with the game, its laws (it was Hugh Bladen who enlightened me, many years ago, that rugby has laws – not rules), and I can hold my own when discussing the finer points of a match with men.

I am, of course, not unique in this respect. Many women know rugby, follow the game and have informed, insightful opinions to contribute to discussions. Their understanding of the sport is no less valuable than that of their male counterparts.

I appreciate that there may be a tradition behind the event, and that those who attend enjoy the opportunity to socialise in a men-only environment. However, traditions deserve to be examined from time to time, particularly when they risk perpetuating the very divisions society is striving to overcome.

At a time when discrimination and equality are very much in the public consciousness, I cannot help questioning the message such an event sends. A school should surely be a place where inclusion, respect and equal opportunity are encouraged and demonstrated, not principles discussed in theory but not always reflected in practice.

I am not suggesting that men should never have an opportunity to gather on their own. Rather, I question why an event hosted by a school should exclude women simply because of their sex, particularly when the subject matter is one that women understand, enjoy and can discuss with equal enthusiasm.

FROM: Anne – Westcliff

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