ICOVID-19 ishaye kwezwela ephaketheni labantu besifazane, kuloba u-Emma Mer

MHLA KA-8 Mashi bekuwuSuku lwabeSifazane eMhlabeni. Ngakho sifisa ukubheka umphumela weCOVID-19 kubantu besifazane; ukuthi sifundani nokuthi usishintsha kanjani.

I-McKinsey Women in Work 2020 Report ikhombisa ukuthi abantu besifazane baseMelika bacabanga ukunciphisa umthamo womsebenzi abawenzayo noma ukushiya emsebenzini. Njengoba ukhombisa umbiko ama-shift amabili abantu besifazane abavele bewasebenza asenzima kakhulu. ENingizimu Afrika, i-Income Dynamics Study – Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey iveze ukuthi emisebenzini elahlekile ewu-3 million ngo-2020, kuyona iwu-2 million okungeyabesifazane. Kulabo abasenenhlanhla yokusebenza, izinsuku zethu zivame ukugcwala ubuchwepheshe, ukuqinisekisa ukuthi imfundo yezingane iyaqhubeka noma umsebenzi nokunaka izingane ngenkathi sisemihlanganweni noma senza ama-presentation, ukwenza umsebenzi wasendlini noma ukusebenza ebusuku ukuze singasileli emsebenzini.

Abaholi basemhlabeni jikelele njengoNksz uSheryl Sandberg sebeke bazwakalisa ukukhathazeka kwabo babalula ukuthi umphumela wobhubhane uyisithiyo kwinqubekelaphambili abantu besifazane ababenayo emsebenzini eminyakeni eyishumi edlule. Loku kungenxa yokuncelisa amawele nomthamo womsebenzi wabaningi bethu.

Ngibona kuyithuba lokuthi sishintshe indlela esicabanga ngayo, sishintshe indlela esenza ngayo emsebenzini nasemphakathini uma kukhulunywa ngendlela yokwenza izinto ngendlela entsha ukuze sihambisane noshintsho, kudingeka iso lethu ligxile ekuhlukeni kwabantu, ukufaka wonke umuntu nokuloku sizithuthukisa ngamakhono emsebenzini.

Ukuqonda kwabaqashi indaba yesidingo sento egcizelwayo yokushintsha ineqhaza elikhulu, yenza ukuthi abantu besifazane nabazali bakwazi ukufeza imisebenzi yabo neyasemsebenzini. Abaholi kudingeka beseke izisebenzi ezidinga ilivu noma izikhathi ezingenamhlangano. Loku kwenza ukuthi abantu babenesikhathi sokukhokha umoya nokulawula umthamo wabo womsebenzi. Asisasebenzi indaba yokungena ngo-9 siphume u-5 manje, ngakho usuku lomsebenzi neso lomphakathi kufanele lihambisane nayo yonke impilo yethu manje. Ukuvama ukubuyekezwa komsebenzi wethu kukhombisa ukuthi abantu bayawazisa umsebenzi wethu ovunywa wukusebenzela ekhaya, inqobo nje uma wenziwa kahle futhi kukhona ukwethembana nokuzinikela – loku kuyakhuthaza.

Ukufaka wonke umuntu kusho ukwemukela ukuthi abantu basebenzela emakhaya, ngakho ukuqonda ukuphazamiseka okungaba khona kubantu besilisa nabesifazane ngokufanayo, njengomsindo wezingane, kwenza abantu bakhululeke kunokuthi bezwe sengathi kufanele “bacishe umsindo”. Ukubeka isikhathi sokuthi abantu baxoxe ngokukhululeka, lapho kufanele izisebenzi zibhoboke khona ngemicabango nemibono yazo sekuyinto emqoka ebantwini ukuze bahlale bexhumene nabalingani babo futhi bangacwaswa.

Kepha ukungashiywa ngaphandle ngeso lomsebenzi kusho ukubukwa ngeso elibanzi. Abaholi besilisa nabesifazane kufanele baqhubeke “ukuvulela amathuba” abantu besifazane. Uma kusetshenzwa ngendlela evumela ukusebenza ngokuxhumana ngobuchwephese besimanje loku kusho ukuthatha isinqumo sokugudlula unike abantu besifazane ithuba lokuhola umkhankaso, ukuthi benze iziphakamiso nokuthi bangazenyezi emhlanganweni futhi bahole imikhankaso. Amathuba okuthatha izikhundla angaba neqhaza elimqoka uma ehleliwe, eneqiniso futhi esekwa ngabacijanayo. 

Ubhubhane lugqamise abaholi bamabhizinisi nabepolitiki nokuthi abantu bakuthatha kanjani ukuba nozwelo, ukuxhumana, ukubambisana, ukusebenzisana, ubudlelwano nokukwazi ukukhuthaza. Ngethemba ukuthi loku kuzoqhubeka noma sesidlulile isikhathi sobhubhane. Yonke lena yimikhakha abantu besifazane abaningi abahamba phambili kuyona kanti uma benikwa ithuba lokukhombisa amangwevu abo ukwenza ngcono umphakathi namabhizinisi, loku kungadala ithuba lokuthi abantu besifazane bachume emsebenzini nakwezinye izindawo.

Wumsebenzi womphakathi wonkana ukwenza imisebenzi eminingi kanyekanye nemisebenzi yempilo kanti lowo mphakathi ubunjwe ngabantu besilisa nabesifazane, amalungu omndeni, abangani, abalingani emsebenzini ngisho nabantu besitolo sendawo  abadilivayo. Uma thina njengabaholi, abalingani, abangani nomndeni sibambisana ukwemukela isimo somuntu ngamunye nezinselelo abhekene nazo, sidale amathuba bese kuthi ngaphezu kwaloko sidale amathuba futhi sithwalisane ijoka lomsebenzi, singalunqoba lolu bhubhane, sizenzele ikusasa elinobuntu.

Kumame osiza amakhasimende ocingweni ngenkathi abantwana bakhe bedlale eduze kwakhe, endodakazini enakekela abazali bayo, kwimenenja esemhlanganweni ekhathazwa wukuthi kuzodliwani, kumngani ode ebheka labo abamdingayo, kumholi onakekela noweseka ithimba lakhe, sithi siyanibona, siyanazisa futhi siyanibonga ngokuthi sifunde ukuthi sibe ngabantu abangcono. Sinifisela inyanga yabaNtu beSifazane eMhlabeni enhle. 

• ^{UNks u-Emma Mer uyisikhulu esiphezulu somNyango weziKweletu eFNB}