African Women 
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| Title: | The Power behind the Scenes: The Afrikaner Nationalist Women's Parties, 1915 to 1931 |
| Author: | Vincent, Louise D. |
| Year: | 1999 |
| Periodical: | South African Historical Journal |
| Issue: | 40 |
| Period: | May |
| Pages: | 51-73 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | South Africa |
| Subjects: | Afrikaners political parties women politics nationalism Politics and Government Women's Issues History and Exploration Ethnic and Race Relations Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) Historical/Biographical organizations Cultural Roles |
| External link: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02582479908671348 |
| Abstract: | South African history books make only passing reference to the Afrikaner women's political parties. Afrikaner nationalism is commonly assumed to have been hostile to the idea of women becoming directly involved in politics and the 'volksmoeder' ideology is specifically seen as having sanctioned the disempowerment of the Afrikaner woman. By redefining the notion of the 'volksmoeder', however, nationalist women's parties were able to convince Afrikaner women that membership of a women's political party was their duty if they wished to contribute to the health and happiness of their volk. This article describes the rise and fall of these nationalist women parties between 1915 and 1931. The Vroue Nasionale Party (VNP) of the Transvaal (1914) was the first national women's party, followed by others in the Orange Free State in 1922 and the Cape in 1923. The formation of women's parties meant that Afrikaner nationalist women could participate as an organized political force in nationalist politics. One of their most significant campaigns was their involvement in the 1924 general election. With the election of a National Party government in 1924, membership of the VNP soared. However, the retention of the 'volksmoeder' framework meant that the women's parties were not able to challenge fundamentally prevailing gender stereotypes and their associated inequalities. Ultimately, the 'volksmoeder' ideology was not a tool of feminism, but of ethnic nationalism. Notes, ref. |
