YCLSA congratulates Caster Semenya on her outstanding performance

The Young Communist League of South Africa (uFasimba) congratulates Caster Semenya for her outstanding performance in Berlin. We believe that Semenya has done our country and continent proud with her Gold medal and world-record breaking performance. She has defied stereotypes-which seems to be placing themselves now at the of the news reels as an attempt to overshadow her stroll to victory.

In this regard, we want to condemn the questioning of Semenya's gender and the so-called "gender-testing" that she is allegedly undergoing. We see this as an insult to Semenya in particular and African women (even in the Diaspora) in general.

Firstly, this allegation is extremely chauvinistic as it suggests that women can only perform to a certain level and that those who exceed this level should be men. It seeks to reinforce the societal stereotypes that men are better than women, and thus, cannot go unchallenged.

Secondly, it feeds into the commercial stereo-types of how a woman should look like, their facial and physical appearance, as perpetuated by backward Eurocentric definition of beauty. It is this culture, which has forced many African women to starve themselves with the objective of reaching the model ramps of Paris and Milan and become the face of this or that product or magazine. We reject this agenda with contempt, especially in the midst of our Women's Month.

Thirdly, this smacks of racism of the highest order. It represents a mentality of conforming feminine outlook within the white race, and that as long as it does not fall within this race or starve and paint itself in order to look like the white race it therefore is not feminine. This is nonsense of the highest order and should be condemned.

This is more insulting as it is assumed that Paris Hilton is automatically a woman, and worst, that the Williams sisters were never subjected to such public humiliation as is done by the international athletic body. Is it because they are of American descent?

We call on all South Africans to rally behind our beautiful and talented Semenya and give her the support she deserves. We also wish all other South African athletes the best in their performance in Berlin.

Statement issued by the Young Communist League, August 20 2009

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