Women reach for equality in Africa, Asia

Thandi Modise revisits the place of her imprisonment

November 22, 1999
Web posted at: 11:54 p.m. EST (0454 GMT)

In this story: South Africa's gold mines claim more lives Students prepare for success in tight job market Revival of Confucianism in South Korea Ox takes center stage in Galician festival A concert with thousands of buzzing accompanists RELATED STORIES, SITES

By Kevin Grieves
CNN World Report

Women comprise a majority of the world's population, but they continue to struggle for equal status with men. While women have made large strides toward equality in many countries, their counterparts in regions of Africa and Asia still lag behind. In these areas, women are not only shut out of many aspects of public life, but they face hardship at home as well.

Several CNN World Report contributors examined the problems women face. They showed examples of women taking on the challenges of male-dominated societies. In Africa, for example, women remain underrepresented in the political arena. Sub-Saharan Africa lags behind most other parts of the world in terms of female representatives in national parliaments.

The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation covered a recent visit by the president of the Women in Business-Zimbabwe Organization, Violet Madzimbamuto, who challenged Namibian women to fight for political representation matching their majority numbers in the population. She says that women must take the initiative to stand up for their own rights, and use any means possible to make their voices heard. Madzimbamuto also appealed for an end to African women's second-class status in the home.

Zhang Chun Hua helps Shanghai residents resolve a dispute

The system of apartheid relegated black South Africans to second-class citizenship for years. Many women not only voiced their opposition to that system, but took up arms to fight the apartheid regime. That struggle exacted a high cost. The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) joined Thandi Modise as she walked through Johannesburg's Old Fort prison where she was once jailed for fighting against apartheid. Modise still carries the emotional scars of the humiliations she endured at the prison. Some observers criticize the Truth and Reconciliation Committee for not dealing adequately with the imprisoned women's experiences. SABC reporter Robyn Curnow concludes that for women like Modise, "...their stories and pain remain locked behind these bars."

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A Chinese woman is helping neighbors in her hometown of Shanghai settle their differences in a peaceful manner. Shanghai Television introduced CNN World Report viewers to Zhang Chun Hua, mediation director of the Si Xin Neighborhood Committee. Zhang and her colleagues have helped resolve more than 200 conflicts between community residents in the past two years. Zhang says that often the best approach is simply to listen to upset residents: "They will calm down when they have vented off their fury."

And in Taiwan, a woman is making a splash -- literally -- in a field dominated by men: She's training for a specialized military unit.

South Africa's gold mines claim more lives

Gold is one of South Africa's most prominent exports, but lately the precious metal seems to be bringing the country more worries than blessings. First, the price of gold sank to a 20-year low on world markets, putting thousands of mining jobs in jeopardy. Then, the more immediate dangers of mining struck again: A miner killed in the Mponeng mine near Carltonville, southwest of Johannesburg, was added to the growing death toll of recent mining accidents.

CNN World Report contributor SABC brought viewers face-to-face with the dangers of mining with a look at another recent accident at the Mponeng mine. Nineteen miners lost their lives after a methane gas explosion tore through the underground cavities in that tragedy.

The Mponeng mine is run by Anglogold, the world's biggest gold producer. Anglogold says that despite the accident, mining mishaps have declined overall.

Students prepare for success in tight job market

In Japan, both career workers and new entrants into the job market are feeling the pressure of the country's economic woes. Unemployment has hit record levels in Japan, and the stress of layoffs is hitting particularly hard in a culture where joblessness is seen by many as shameful. Analysts point to a disturbing pattern that seems to be emerging: Suicide rates have risen in proportion to unemployment levels.

Singapore's TCS showed CNN World Report viewers how some Japanese students are getting ready to start out on their own in the world of business, rather than wait for job offers from large companies that may never materialize. TCS Tokyo correspondent Michiyo Ishida found that "...with the job market remaining bleak, entrepreneurship is becoming a popular option for many young Japanese." Many of those aspiring entrepreneurs are aiming at lucrative high-tech fields, such as Web-site design or teaching personal computer classes.

Revival of Confucianism in South Korea

South Korean children learn the ways of Confucius

Confucius, China's most famous philosopher, lived more than 2,500 years ago, yet his teachings are still the source of contemporary debates. The weakening of Asia's economies and the rise of the global market have brought into question how Asia handles its money. The economic policies of Asian countries vary, yet most hold the Confucian ethic of stressing the community over the individual. Some economists say Confucianism is the success behind the Asian "tiger" markets, and that Confucian teachings are in line with Western ideals. Others say the age-old philosophy hampers original thinking.

Confucius' teachings on governing can be hard to decipher; his basic moral principles are a bit clearer when applied to social and familial relationships. Confucianism lays out five cardinal relationships: Parent-child, ruler-subject, elder brother-younger brother, friend-friend, and husband-wife. The Chinese sage outlines rules of respect and obedience, some of which may be considered politically incorrect in modern society.

In South Korea, Arirang News correspondent Sohn Jong-hyun and photographer Ahn Sokho traveled to Sungkyunkwan University in northeastern Seoul, where Korean children attend a unique summer camp that teaches a strict moral code, in line with Confucianism. Every year, nearly 20,000 children enroll in this program. The children wake to a rigorous daily schedule: After chores and a morning exercise, they dress in traditional attire and learn about their heritage.

In addition to science and mathematics lessons, the curriculum includes writing poetry using Chinese characters, like their ancestors did not so long ago. This program teaches the rules of etiquette, such as how to address one's elders and the proper forms of bowing and sitting. Twelve-year old Shin Kiun told Arirang News that before the summer camp she never learned how to bow properly. Now, she says, she will bow to her parents during traditional holidays.

Ox takes center stage in Galician festival

Staying one step ahead of the ox on the streets of Allariz

Tradition comes alive each year in Spain on the feast day of Corpus Christi. For Catholic believers, the day marks the celebration of the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Spaniards are believed to have begun observing the special day sometime during the 14th century, and the customs surrounding Corpus Christi have been passed down through the generations. The festival takes on many flavors, depending on the surrounding culture, and Spain's TV Galicia treated CNN World Report viewers to a sample of the festival's events in the Galician town of Allariz.

The first flavor one might encounter in Allariz is that of tripe, which is traditionally served for breakfast that day. And for those wanting to work off their breakfast, plenty of exercise is provided in one of the festival's lively highlights. Groups of brave souls test their stamina as they run ahead of an ox through the streets of Allariz. TV Galicia showed viewers how the men who lead the ox with long ropes try to prevent any painful encounters with the ox's horns, but at the same time they keep things interesting by steering the ox in unexpected directions. Residents along the route keep the doors to their houses open, just in case a runner needs to make a quick getaway.

A concert with thousands of buzzing accompanists

Norman Garry is a big hit thanks to his buzzing friends

A professor from the United States recently avoided stinging criticism of his musical abilities as he performed a very unusual act for Greek spectators. The music from Norman Garry's clarinet seemed to soothe the thousands of bees covering his entire body as he played. Greece's Star Channel showed CNN World Report viewers how Garry scooped shovelfuls of bees onto himself, until he was bedecked with a thick layer of the insects. The bees cling to his clothing because of the drops of artificial queen bee pheromone Garry applies to himself.

Star Channel's Demie Hadji spoke with Garry, who explained that the absence of a hive rendered the bees docile. Garry says his 32 years of experience in teaching entomology at the University of California has given him insight into the ways of bees. "...I know their behavior, I know what they're going to do, so I'm not scared," he said.