'Beauty & sexuality': UNAM students discuss current issues of beauty and sexuality with sister Namibia.

On 22 September 2011, Sister Namibia hosted a Feminist Forum entitled 'Beauty and Sexuality' at the University of Namibia (UNAM). This was Sister Namibia's third Feminist Forum for the year and was eagerly anticipated. Feminist Forums are held with the purpose of creating dialogue and encouraging critical analysis of a range of issues, both light and serious, with which women, girls and men deal on a daily basis.

The issues around 'Beauty and Sexuality' have always been fascinating to people and therefore seemed an apt topic for discussion. Held at the UNAM Windhoek campus, the forum was hosted in conjunction with the annual UNAM Cultural Festival. In attendance was an exciting mix of both female and male students, along with guest speakers, one of whom was the university's Student Representative Council (SRC) President, Francine Muyumba.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

'Sex for Marks' at UNAM?

The issue of sexuality was especially relevant in the light of a recent 'Sex for Marks' claim, on which the university SRC had broken the silence earlier in the year. It alleged that some lecturers at the university exchanged better grades for sexual favours with their students. While this practise is not a new phi menon to the academic fraternity, it was the first ever report on such a practise being carried out in tertiary institutions in Namibia. This made a discussion on sexuality in its various contexts particularly important, and Wet Feminist Forum attracted an impressive number of participants, with over 80 students in attendance, both women and men.

The audience was keen to share their opinions and impressions, and students asked questions such as 'What is the relationship between beauty and sexuality?', Why do women feel more pressured to attain a certain ideal of beauty than men?', 'Why should they care about issues of sexuality?' and many more.

The panel of presenters comprised Immaculate Sechogele, Sheena Magenya and Michael Conteh, all taking turns to answer questions, offering different perspectives and encouraging debate. All three presenters are gender activists in different capacities, with Immaculate and Michael being based at UNAMS's Gender Department.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Many ideals of beauty but limited to one

Sheena explained how society and culture encourage girls and boys to take on certain behaviours and attitudes towards beauty and sexuality. "Popular culture, via mass media, impresses the need for young women and men to focus on external beauty instead on internal beauty," she said. "And what is meant by beauty is usually decided by society. In the West, a beautiful woman is a size 0 with long hair, while in Somalia a beautiful woman is a circumcised woman. There are many ideals of beauty, but because our media present us with very limited options as to what a beautiful person is, we find ourselves trying to attain that one ideal - which is often impossible, and usually unnecessary." She encouraged the students to challenge mainstream activities such as beauty pageants, because they continue to encourage a linear view of beauty.

The discussion panel also addressed the importance for students to develop agency. "We need to learn how to speak up for ourselves," Immaculate opined. "Culture has created silence around the issues of sex. This makes it hard for people to confide in others when they have been sexually abused or taken advantage of. You have to learn how to break the silence."

Michael shared interesting perspectives on the male point of view on issues of sexuality and beauty. "People are always focusing their attention on what women wear, he said, while men wear whatever they want and get away with it." It's a double standard that has to change." He aiso encouraged men to look more inside themselves and what they are doing for and to themselves, before blaming women for everything that does not go well.

Sexually Transmitted Marks-a dual responsibility

During the subsequent lively discussions, Francine Muyumba demanded that university students should take more responsibility for themselves and their actions. She encouraged them to stay focused on what is presently iportant, namely their studies. "See yourselves as a brand," she said, "a brand that needs maintaining and that doesn't sell itself short." On the 'sex for marks' issue - which has since been dubbed Sexually Transmitted Marks by the UNAM community - Francine candidly made it clear to the students that as mature people they should know the consequences of their actions: "It's not right to deliberately seduce a lecturer, then cry wolf when the intended outcome happens. You are a grown person, and there is dual responsibility in this situation."

The students obviously enjoyed the Feminist Forum, giving a lot of positive feedback to Sister Namibia. They intimated that they were looking forward to the next forum and would turn out in their numbers to share more food for thought and encouragement for attion.