ABSTRACT

This article examines the history of female leadership in contemporary Eswatini politics through the prism of Gelane Simelane Zwane as a neglected aspect of scholarship. Gelane Simelane Zwane doubled as the longest-serving female Chief of Kontshingila village and Senate President of Eswatini in recent history. This article is premised on the fact that Zwane’s leadership odyssey was shaped by the intersection of gender and culture. A qualitative methodology, involving the use of newspapers, court documents, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, was employed in this study. The study reveals that, within the context of a patriarchal society, Zwane was able to shatter the ‘glass ceiling’ and attain political prominence in Eswatini. Consequently, she became an easy target for attacks in her enviable leadership positions that were traditionally occupied by males. She successfully navigated the slippery patriarchal terrain for decades until she was finally neutralised in a labyrinth of intractable Eswatini culture and tradition following the death of her husband in 2018.

摘要

本文通过 Gelane Simelane Zwane 的棱镜，探讨了当代斯威士兰政治中女性领导力的历史，将其视为学术界被忽视的一个方面。杰兰·西梅兰·兹瓦内 (Gelane Simelane Zwane) 兼任孔特欣吉拉村任职时间最长的女酋长和斯威士兰近代历史上参议院议长。本文的前提是 Zwane 的领导力之旅是由性别和文化的交集塑造的。本研究采用了定性方法，包括使用报纸、法庭文件、深入访谈和焦点小组讨论。研究表明，在父权社会的背景下，兹瓦内能够打破“玻璃天花板”并在斯威士兰获得政治地位。最后，她的令人羡慕的领导职位传统上由男性占据，她很容易成为攻击的目标。几十年来，她成功地在父权制的土壤中游刃有余，直到 2018 年丈夫去世后，她终于在棘手的斯威士兰文化和传统的迷宫中被压制住了。